Food security and malnutrition in Africa.
Levels of food insecurity are expected to worsen further in 2021 in Africa. According to the Global Hunger Index 2020, which was adopted by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Chad was the most affected by hunger and malnutrition, with an index of 44.7.
Multiple factors including land and crop degradation, periodic droughts and weather-related shocks, poverty, limited access to basic food staples and essential services, and population growth, contribute to emergency levels of malnutrition in the region.
“Children suffering from severe acute malnutrition are at higher risk of COVID-19-related complications,” said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “Good nutrition for children, starting from their early days, protects them against illnesses and infections, and supports their recovery when they become ill. Ensuring the continuity of preventive and lifesaving health and nutrition services, building shock-responsive social protection systems, protecting livelihoods and supporting families’ access to water, hygiene and healthy food are critical for child survival and long-term development.”
Some of the ways we help to overcome the root causes of hunger and malnutrition include:
-Food assistance
-Early diagnosis and treatment of childhood malnutrition
-Support for improved, more efficient agriculture and for farmers to diversify livelihoods
-Land rehabilitation to improve harvests
Improving the nutritional status of children is a priority that needs urgent policy attention to accelerate socio-economic progress and development in Africa.
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