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0 Nearly 282 million people in Africa are undernourished, an increase of 57 million since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stakeholders at a capacity-building workshop for some selected journalists and communicators on micro-nutrient deficiency in Africa are calling for a multi-sector collaborative approach to addressing the issue.
More than a billion people are unable to afford a healthy meal. The situation is projected to worsen if appropriate solutions are not found.
Although Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal are said to have made significant progress in efforts to address micronutrient deficiencies, stakeholders in the sub-region are concerned calling for a collective effort from member states to address the menace.
During the opening ceremony, advisor to the vice president of Cote d’Ivoire, Dr. Patricia N’goran elaborated on the gravity of the situation within the sub-region expressing worry about the low level of proper breastfeeding among mothers with many opting for other supplements for babies under five.
According to her, journalists play a critical role in raising awareness effecting behavioral change within societies and influencing policy decisions. She asserted that combating micronutrients in Africa requires the use of acceptable interventions in different ways to impact nutrition in the respective countries.
“let’s encourage breastfeeding for the children under five. Encourage the mothers and families. Use the scriptures to educate them. The Bible and Quran all have quotations that encourage the proper feeding of a child. As a journalist, you play a critical role in society and so you are the ones to carry the information to the people and it must be done well. Let’s use the approaches in different to impact nutrition in our prospective countries. There is a need for a multi-sector approach and Cote D’ivoire has already set the pace,” she said.
The Deputy Representative for UNICEF in Cote D’ivoire, Mariana Stirbu on her part said malnutrition is a violation of children’s rights reiterating the need for a multi-sector approach in efforts. She encouraged African leaders to ensure legislation for improvement of nutrients in foods for women and the vulnerable.
For her, African leaders need to focus on promoting breastfeeding which is the ultimate food with the best nutrient for children. She further reaffirmed UNICEFs commitment in continuous collaboration and support to countries in the production of affordable and sustainable food for children.
“As UNICEF, we accompany governments to make sure there are policies and regulations to make sure the children get the needed nutritional status. We support all multi-sector nutritional strategies which are there to make sure that across sectors, we get the right actions public and society wise in place to ensure a very good nutritional status for children, but if you ask the question specifically about where we need to put a stronger emphasis, then it should be breastfeeding. And the media is very relevant to achieving this feat,” she noted.
These stakeholders were among the dignitaries present at the opening ceremony of the capacity-building workshop for some selected journalists and communicators from 17 West and Central African countries.
The post Over 280m Africans are undernourished – UNICEF first appeared on 3News.
