Stunted children today means stunted economies tomorrow.
Nutrition is at the heart of human capital and the 2030
Sustainable Development Goals. Malnutrition contributes to 45% of
under-five deaths.
For those that survive, the long-term impact
robs them of a healthy, productive future. Malnutrition in infancy
causes irreversible damage to children’s physical and mental
development, undermining educational achievement and employment
opportunities in later life.
The effects often start before birth
as a growing number of expectant women suffer from maternal anemia
due to undernutrition. Undernutrition is cyclical. Undernourished
children are more likely to grow into malnourished adults. And
malnourished adults are more likely to have undernourished
children. But that cycle can be broken with the right support.
Innovative approaches and greater action from the private sector
is necessary to boost financing for effective nutrition-specific
interventions. Strong public-private partnerships and cooperation
is needed to get more nutrients into foods and deliver on
nutrition targets. At OBRI Africa we are producing fortified
cooking oil products at an affordable price—to help low-income
communities to get 30 percent of their daily vitamin A
requirements by using our products.
