Hardship Causing Increase In Child Malnutrition – Umar

By:Ajiya Ayuba, Bauchi

The increasing rate of child malnutrition has been attributed to the current economic challenges affecting many households in Bauchi state.

A Nutritionist at the Kofar Ran Primary Health Care Centre in Bauchi metropolis, Rahila Idi Umar made this known in an interview with The Nations News Nigeria.

According to her, despite the effort of the state government towards provision of quality health care services to the citizens, poverty among households is retarding the health of the children, due to lack of good food which they cannot afford.

She further blamed increase in child malnutrition to hardship, occasioned by high cost of essential commodities in the market.

“Malnutrition is caused by hunger, because if a woman didn’t get enough and good food to eat, the child will be affected by malnutrition which is very bad”, she stressed.

Rahila Umar further lamented that malnourished children are increasing in number, noted that if not tackled, the scourge will affect more children in future, thereby shattering the future of generations to come.

She said, in the past, health personnel in the primary healthcare use to contribute money to buy food and distribute to the breastfeeding mothers to eat and to give their children, so that both of them can look good and fresh.

Umar added that, many less privileged mothers encounter challenges of inadequate food, while breastfeeding their babies which affect the children negatively.

She advised couples to be enduring and be giving a space of two years before giving birth to another child which she opined, will assist the mother and the child greatly.

She said that some women are breastfeeding their babies, while carrying another pregnancy at the same time, which according to her, is not good for their health.

Rahila Umar appealed to governments at all levels to be providing cash incentives and food to the less privileged women, while breastfeeding their babies exclusively for six months in order to reduce malnutrition.

On her part, a mother of twins Maimuna Sale who spoke to our Correspondent at the Primary Health Care Centre, calls for proper awareness on malnutrition.

According to her, inadequate information about how to source affordable nutritious food for children is also a factor that increases malnutrition.

Maimuna who added that lack of good food is making her not to breastfeed the children very well, said she is not finding it easy to breastfeed the twins, especially at this critical economic condition.