NDHS Report: 24m Children in Nigeria Suffering Malnourishment

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

As Nigeria continues to grapple with the problems of hunger and malnutrition, the federal government has said an estimated 24 million children in the country are suffering from anaemia.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), anaemia is a condition of not having enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.

The most common nutritional cause of anaemia is iron deficiency, although deficiencies in folate, vitamins B12 and A are also important causes.

Government also said 58 per cent of women of reproductive age in the country were living with anaemia.

The troubling statistics were highlighted on Tuesday at the CS-SUNN Capacity Building on Strengthening Media Role for Anaemia Prevention in Nigeria

Assistant Director in the Nutrition Department of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Helen Achimugu, in her presentation, warned that anaemia and other micronutrient deficiencies continued to undermine the health, productivity, and survival of millions of Nigerians.

Quoting the report of the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), Achimugu said, ‘We have about 35 million stunted children, over 14 million wasted children and roughly 24 million children who are anaemic. This is not just a health issue; it is a development emergency.”

She said 58 per cent of women of reproductive age in Nigeria were currently anaemic, citing findings from the 2023 NDHS.

Achimugu said that meant more than half of the country’s women were living with a condition that was largely preventable and treatable.

She said the nutrition crisis not only affected children, but also pregnant women, stating that Nigeria now ranks first in Africa and second globally in the number of stunted children.

Achimugu explained that micronutrient deficiencies, often referred to as “hidden hunger”, were widespread, particularly among children under-five and women of reproductive age.

“They are called hidden hunger because the signs are not always visible, but their impact on health, learning ability and productivity is profound,” she said.

According to the nutrition expert, poor dietary diversity, food insecurity, and socio-economic factors are among the factors driving the trend, with higher prevalence presently recorded in northern Nigeria.

“The burden is heavier in the northern regions, largely due to dietary patterns and access to nutritious foods,” she said.

Achimugu identified key micronutrients, such as iron, iodine, zinc, folate and Vitamin A, as essential for growth and immunity.

She outlined several strategies being adopted by government to tackle the problem, including food fortification, supplementation, and dietary diversification, with particular emphasis on Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) for pregnant women.

Achimugu stated, “MMS contains 15 essential vitamins and minerals, compared to iron and folic acid supplements which have just two. For pregnant women, MMS should be taken daily. It is as essential as water.

“One bottle can last a woman for about six months if taken daily, and it significantly reduces the risk of anaemia and other deficiencies during and after pregnancy.”

Earlier, in his welcome address, Executive Secretary of Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Sunday Okoronkwo, described anaemia as one of the country’s most persistent, yet preventable public health challenges.

Okoronkwo stated, “The most affected are women and children, and they cannot speak for themselves. They depend on the media to speak up on what they go through and to keep these issues on the front burner.”

He said anaemia continued to take a heavy toll on maternal health, child development, and national productivity, despite being preventable and treatable.

Okoronkwo stated that addressing the burden required more than policies and programmes, saying that it requires awareness, advocacy, accountability, and sustained public engagement.

Okoronkwo urged journalists to go beyond statistics and use human-centred stories that could drive policy action.

He said, “Your stories have the power to move those in authority to do what they ought to do. The prevention through adequate nutrition remains more cost-effective than emergency interventions.”