adminLilongwe — Child malnutrition costs Malawi about $600m a year, with more than half of children aged between 18 and 23 months suffering from stunted growth, according to a new report released on Wednesday. The study revealed that 82,000 child deaths between 2008 and 2012 were “directly associated” with lack of food, while 60 percent of the working population suffered from stunted growth before they had reached the age of five.
The African Union and World Food Programme (WFP) report highlighted widespread child malnutrition in Malawi and its dire economic impact, with an estimated 10 percent of gross national product (GDP) lost each year.
Stunted growth “robs the child’s potential of growth in so many ways and it is clear Malawi has much work to do to eliminate stunting,” WFP representative Coco Ushiyama said at the study’s launch.
“The terrible news is that stunting is irreversible. The good news is it can be prevented.
“But the most vulnerable still have difficulty in meeting their annual food needs.”
The Cost of Hunger in Africa study, which used the latest data from 2012, also said malnutrition resulted in high health costs and damaged children’s ability to learn.
It called on the government to take “action for a drastic reduction of stunting in the next 10 to 15 years” by decentralising how funds are given out, and better coordination and monitoring. — AP
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter