Connect with us

Africa

Ethiopia’s child malnutrition rate down by 20% in 16 years – UNICEF

Published

on

Edo Govt. maps out strategies to combat malnutrition

Siddig Ibrahim Ethiopia Representative of UN International Children and Emergency Fund (UNICEF) says Ethiopia has made significant progress in reducing child malnutrition for children aged six to 23 months.

Ibrahim said on Thursday in Addis Ababa that the malnutrition rate went down from 58 per cent in 2000 to 38 per cent in 2016.

He also attributed the East African country’s success to government commitment to end malnutrition.

Ibrahim said that Ethiopia was committed to further reducing stunting among children to ensure the wellbeing of children and sustained economic growth.

Ephrem Tekle Director of Maternal and Child Health at the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, said that the period from six to eight months when children transit from exclusive breastfeeding to crop-based complimentary feeding were critical.

“As these periods are crucial for the healthy growth of children, the government has been engaged in community mobilisation works through health and agriculture extension programmes to reduce child malnutrition,’’ he said.

Tekle said that the monthly child malnutrition monitoring programme and feeding of children suffering from stunting was also one of the strategies that had been implemented to improve the complimentary feeding practice throughout the country.

A study conducted by UNICEF shows an estimated 5.7 million children are stunted in Ethiopia due to the combined effects of poor malnutrition, repeated infection and inadequate psychosocial stimulation.

Nan

NEWSVERGE, published by The Verge Communications is an online community of international news portal and social advocates dedicated to bringing you commentaries, features, news reports from a Nigerian-African perspective. A unique organization, founded in the spirit of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, comprising of ordinary people with an overriding commitment to seeking the truth and publishing it without fear or favour. The Verge Communications is fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a corporate organization.

Comments
NIGERIA DECIDES

NIGERIA DECIDES

Shell Digital Plan RESPONSIVE600x750
Shell Digital Plan RESPONSIVE600x750
GTB
JoinOurWhatsAppChannel