UNICEF SAYS NIGERIA HAS THE HIGHEST BURDEN OF MALNOURISHED CHILDREN IN AFRICA.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said that Nigeria has the highest burden of malnourished children in Africa.

According to UNICEF, about two million children in the country suffer from severe acute malnutrition, with only two out of every 10 affected children having access to treatment.

UNICEF, in a recent report, stated that Nigeria has the second-highest number of stunted children in the world, with a national prevalence rate of 32 percent of children under five, adding that seven percent of women of childbearing age suffer from acute malnutrition, which is a direct or underlying cause of 45 percent of all deaths of under-five children.

It further warned that the consequences of malnutrition are severe, with stunting linked to poor cognitive development, lowered performance in education, and low productivity in adulthood.

UNICEF added that efforts are being made to ensure that women, children, and adolescents, particularly in vulnerable areas, benefit from increased access to quality nutrition services and information to prevent and treat malnutrition.

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