A specialized forum on issues related to African children called the African Child Policy Forum has released shocking statistics: up to 45% of deaths of African children are due to malnutrition. According to statistics, at least 60 million African children are not provided with enough food even though the continent’s economy has been growing steadily in recent years. These are truly impressive numbers but in a negative direction that makes the whole world need to ponder.
Up to 45% of African child deaths are due to malnutrition
The African Child Policy Forum also emphasized that this is unacceptable in the 21st century. Malnutrition among African children causes their health to deteriorate, their thinking ability to limit, and a large number of them are slowly dying. It is an extremely bitter injustice to the future generations of a continent, preventing the development of children and the development opportunities of African countries.
The root cause of malnutrition in African children
Extreme poverty
According to world analysts, poverty is the leading cause of malnutrition in African children. An uneven economic development, severe gender discrimination and broken food production. In fact, although the food production of African countries is at the highest level in the world, the paradox is reflected in the poor meals of millions of households here.
Poverty is the leading cause of malnutrition in African children
Also according to experts, two of the countries with the highest child death rates due to malnutrition and poverty in Africa are Malawi (50%) and Zambia (40%), both located in the southern region. South Africa. These are also two countries that have suffered heavy damage from natural disasters – the consequences of global climate change.
Constant war
Along with poverty, conflict and war are also the leading causes of millions of African children falling into severe malnutrition. Statistics show that 75% of malnourished African children live in war zones or armed conflicts, typically countries such as Somalia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
75% of malnourished African children live in war zones or armed conflicts
Most recently, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the number of people falling into poverty in the world has been increasing continuously in the past 3 years, especially in Africa and South Africa. America – a country that has suffered many natural disasters due to climate change and constant armed conflicts. According to FAO, 1 in 9 people in the world lives in poverty. This has raised a wake-up call for each of us: if armed conflicts and natural disasters continue for a long time, countries will not be able to easily end the goal of hunger eradication and poverty reduction by 2030 set by the United Nations. Quoc proposed.
Children in any country in the world deserve the best for their soul and body to develop comprehensively. However, malnutrition among African children has been and is becoming an increasingly serious problem that each of us cannot ignore. Living in a peaceful and prosperous country is a desire that every African child desires and needs to fulfill.