7.3 million Nigerian females undernourished – UNICEF

UNICEF has released a global report ahead of International Women’s Day that highlights a surge in the number of adolescent girls and women aged 15-49 years who are undernourished in Nigeria. The report shows that the number of undernourished individuals has increased from 5.6 million in 2018 to 7.3 million in 2021. Nigeria is among the 12 hardest hit countries by the global food and nutrition crisis, which has been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and conflicts in some countries.

The report, titled “Undernourished and Overlooked: A Global Nutrition Crisis in Adolescent Girls and Women”, warns that the crises are deepening a nutrition crisis among adolescent girls and women that had already shown little improvement in the last two decades. More than one billion adolescent girls and women suffer from undernutrition, deficiencies in essential micronutrients, and anaemia, with devastating consequences for their lives and wellbeing.

In Nigeria, 55% of adolescent girls and women suffer from anaemia, and nearly half of Nigerian women of reproductive age do not consume the recommended diet of at least five out of ten food groups. Inadequate nutrition during girls’ and women’s lives can lead to weakened immunity, poor cognitive development, and an increased risk of life-threatening complications. For example, in Nigeria, 12 million children under 5 are stunted, meaning they are too short for their age due to malnutrition.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said, “Without urgent action from the international community, the consequences could last for generations to come.” The report calls for governments, development and humanitarian partners and donors, civil society organizations and development actors to prioritize adolescent girls’ and women’s access to nutritious, safe, and affordable diets. The report also recommends implementing policies to expand large-scale food fortification and ensuring adolescent girls and women in low- and middle-income countries have free access to essential nutrition services.

UNICEF warns of alarming malnutrition rates among adolescent girls and women in Nigeria, putting maternal and child health in jeopardy

UNICEF has scaled up its efforts in the countries hardest hit by the global nutrition crisis, including in Nigeria, with an acceleration plan to prevent, detect, and treat wasting in women and children. The report emphasizes the need for urgent action from all partners, including the government of Nigeria and the international community, to transform food, health, and social protection systems for adolescent girls and women. Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, said, “We cannot afford to overlook this crisis, and we must work together to transform food, health, and social protection systems for adolescent girls and women.”