CHARLIE TJATINDI May 9 2011
Namibia needs to control the high rate of malnutrition amongst its population, Prime Minister Nahas Angula, has said.
Mr Angula said malnutrition was directly responsible for the death of at least 6,000 children annually.
In a brief to Cabinet colleagues at its last sitting, he said research results also showed that Namibia had almost twice the normal percentage of moderately stunted children and three times that of severe ones.
“Namibian children and women also suffer from ‘hidden hunger’, a deficiency of important micro-nutrients which are required in small quantities, but are essential for the body’s daily biochemical functions. These include iron, folic acid, iodine and Vitamin A,” Mr Angula pointed out.
The malnutrition report on Namibia states that the three most significant contributors to infant and child malnutrition in Namibia were inappropriate infant and child feeding practices, especially a lack of exclusive breastfeeding, poor hygiene, sanitation and caring practices, leading to illness and poor nutrition, as well as the health status of mothers.
Hygiene promotion
The same report indicated that 19 per cent of Namibia’s total population was undernourished (2005 estimate).
Namibia was now investigating the feasibility of bio-fortification - a selective breeding of crop cultivators and varieties that have been found to naturally store higher levels of micronutrients such as orange maize, orange sweet potatoes, yellow cassava or iron in the case of beans, sorghum and millet.
Other measures include food distribution to highly vulnerable households with chronically ill patients and schools in food insecure areas, and community awareness campaigns on nutrition and food security programmes.
Cabinet also approved that in addition to immunisation undertaken by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, nationwide hygiene promotion and de-worming for all children aged one and above should be conducted twice in a year.
Namibia is a lower middle-income country with perennial food deficits, recurring droughts, high rates of malnutrition and the sixth-highest prevalence of HIV/Aids in the world.
http://www.africareview.com/News/Malnutrition+worries+Namibia/-/979180/1158906/-/uriq1d/-/
Namibia needs to control the high rate of malnutrition amongst its population, Prime Minister Nahas Angula, has said.
Mr Angula said malnutrition was directly responsible for the death of at least 6,000 children annually.
In a brief to Cabinet colleagues at its last sitting, he said research results also showed that Namibia had almost twice the normal percentage of moderately stunted children and three times that of severe ones.
“Namibian children and women also suffer from ‘hidden hunger’, a deficiency of important micro-nutrients which are required in small quantities, but are essential for the body’s daily biochemical functions. These include iron, folic acid, iodine and Vitamin A,” Mr Angula pointed out.
The malnutrition report on Namibia states that the three most significant contributors to infant and child malnutrition in Namibia were inappropriate infant and child feeding practices, especially a lack of exclusive breastfeeding, poor hygiene, sanitation and caring practices, leading to illness and poor nutrition, as well as the health status of mothers.
Hygiene promotion
The same report indicated that 19 per cent of Namibia’s total population was undernourished (2005 estimate).
Namibia was now investigating the feasibility of bio-fortification - a selective breeding of crop cultivators and varieties that have been found to naturally store higher levels of micronutrients such as orange maize, orange sweet potatoes, yellow cassava or iron in the case of beans, sorghum and millet.
Other measures include food distribution to highly vulnerable households with chronically ill patients and schools in food insecure areas, and community awareness campaigns on nutrition and food security programmes.
Cabinet also approved that in addition to immunisation undertaken by the Ministry of Health and Social Services, nationwide hygiene promotion and de-worming for all children aged one and above should be conducted twice in a year.
Namibia is a lower middle-income country with perennial food deficits, recurring droughts, high rates of malnutrition and the sixth-highest prevalence of HIV/Aids in the world.
http://www.africareview.com/News/Malnutrition+worries+Namibia/-/979180/1158906/-/uriq1d/-/
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