A report by the United Nations Children’s Agency Unicef shows that almost a quarter (23%) of South African children under five are at risk of malnutrition and cognitive delays because of severe poverty.
Unicef defines severe child food poverty as children who survive on just one or two food groups a day, instead of at least five, and who are 50% more likely to suffer from malnutrition, reports BusinessLIVE.
“The consequences of severe child food poverty can last a lifetime,” said Unicef SA representative Christine Muhigana. “Malnutrition …weakens immune systems and increases children’s risk of dying from common childhood diseases. Their brain development is also affected in the early years of life – their ability to learn – leading to lifelong development challenges that can perpetuate the cycle of poverty.”
Globally, nearly half (46%) of the 181m cases of severe child food poverty are among poor households, but the remainder (54%) live in wealthier households with inadequate access to nutritious food, said Unicef. ….more
