Wed Oct 31, 2012 4:2PM GMT
Colleta Wanjohi, Press TV, Addis Ababa
According to statistics from United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, over 30% of all children under 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa are suffering from stunted growth due to chronic malnutrition. Apparently, stunted children are up to four times likely to die from infectious diseases as well as have poor intellectual performance. This eventually translates into poor economic performance by African states.
The threat of malnutrition has recently attracted 21 million dollars from donor countries and four African countries have been chosen to act as models for others in the continent as far as trying out strategies for practical solutions to malnutrition are concerned.
They include Burkina Faso, Uganda, Mali and Ethiopia. With a four year time plan, Africans insist that this time the donors should not influence implementation.
The challenge to be overcome by individual member states is not availability of food since Africa has ability to produce enough food, but rather how to utilize the available food so that it adds value to children especially and prevent stunted growth at an early age.
The World Bank estimates that investing in nutrition can increase a country's gross domestic product by at least 2 to 3 percent annually.
It is necessary to use multi sectoral approach in individual members states for tackling malnutrition in Africa and ensure that this issue is given preference in terms of resources and attention.
If not it is bound to eat up the continent's potential of productivity.
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