1 out of 5 Namibian children already stunted

In Namibia, this number stands at approximately 72,000 children, meaning that around 1 out of every 5 children in Namibia are already stunted. These children will likely not reach their full growth and developmental potential because of the irreversible physical and cognitive damage caused by persistent nutritional deprivations.Good nutrition is the foundation of child survival, health and development; well- nourished children are better able to grow and learn, to participate in and contribute to their communities. Stunting is associated with poor brain development, which affects a child’s cognitive development, educational attainment and productivity in adulthood which in turn has an effect on the development potential of a nation. Being malnourished in early childhood elevates the risks of infant morbidity and mortality, increases healthcare costs and social safety net expenditures, investments in education,decreases lifelong income-earning potential and labor force productivity resulting in a vicious cycle of poverty, ill health and poor nutrition which is transmitted across generations. The developmental, economic and social impacts of malnutrition, especially in the early years of life, are serious and longlasting for individuals, their families, communities and countries. The costs of undernutrition in Africa and Asia are equivalent to losing 8 -11 percent of GDP every year, while investments in nutrition offer a $16 return for every $1 invested.In the words of King Letsie III of Lesotho, the AU Nutrition Champion and FAO Ambassador, “Together we can eliminate child malnutrition in all its forms by 2030 for optimal human capital development and a more prosperous Africa!” While there has been progress, still 23% of children in Namibia are already stunted and will not reach their full growth potential. There has been a steady reduction in both the prevalence and the number of stunted children since 1992. Stunting levels have declined 36 percent (or 13 percentage points) between 1992 and 2013 (from 36% to 23%), while the numbers of stunted children have declined 19 percent over the same period (from 89 to 72 thousand children), showing improvements are not keeping pace with population growth.Child wasting has fluctuated over time remaining at a medium level (5-&lt;10%) according to global benchmarks. Child overweight has fluctuated in the range of 3 to 5% which is classified as a low-level low. Different forms of malnutrition coexist within the same children: 1.5% of children are both stunted and wasted, and 1.3% are both stunted and overweight. Children who are both wasted and stunted are 12.3-times more likely to die than their well-nourished counter-parts. Children under-nourished in the first two years of life and who rapidly gain weight during childhood or adolescence have an increased risk of chronic disease related to nutrition. There is a need for double-duty actions designed to tackle both undernutrition and obesity, and to effectively address the underlying issues. For stunting, overweight and exclusive breastfeeding, there is not enough data after the WHA baseline year of 2012 to estimate progress in 2025 using current trajectory. Thus, the 2018 Global Nutrition Report states there are insufficient data to classify the progress towards these targets. Namibia would achieve the WHA nutrition targets if by 2025 there are no more than 41 000 stunted children (or achieves a target prevalence of 11.2% in 2025), if it prevents any increase in overweight. Child stunting must decreases from the current 4% in 2013, while the exclusive breastfeeding rate must be pushed up to at least 50%. If the anaemia rate in women follows the current trajectory, it would drop to 18% in 2025. While this shows some progress, this decline in the prevalence will not be enough to achieve the WHA target prevalence of 12% in 2025.Thus, Namibia needs to accelerate actions to achieve the WHA 2025 target of anaemia in women. – Source: Unicef Namibia Nutrition Brief; www.nafsan.org; https://www.nafsan.org/talks/; director@nafsan.orgDid you know?2022: a year of unprecedented hungerAs many as 828 million people go to bed hungry every night.Health tipEat soups, stews, cooked whole grains, and beansHealth precaution tipTry eating smaller, more frequent meals.See a doctor when you are experiencing ongoing or severe abdominal pain.STATS*663 million people globally are undernourished*22% of children younger than five are 'stunted' (they are significantly shorter than the average for their age, as a consequence of poor nutrition or repeated infection)*9% of the world population – around 697 million people – are severely food insecure.

1 out of 5 Namibian children already stunted

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Republikein 2025-07-07

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1 out of 5 Namibian children already stunted

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