Omanghana
Africa’s persistent child malnutrition crisis cannot be solved through nutritional education alone, according to scientists and public health specialists who say millions of families already understand what children should eat but cannot afford it.
Food and Agriculture Organization data show that 66.6% of Africa’s population was unable to afford a healthy diet in 2025, more than double the levels recorded in Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean.
For low-income households, nutrient-rich foods such as meat, eggs, dairy products, fruits and vegetables often cost considerably more than staple carbohydrates such as maize meal, cassava and rice.
The problem therefore extends beyond parental awareness to include low incomes, high food prices, inadequate infrastructure and unequal access to markets.
Even relatively affordable protein sources such as beans and cowpeas may involve hidden costs. Pulses require lengthy cooking, placing additional pressure on households that must purchase gas, charcoal or kerosene.
In communities where firewood is the primary energy source, the burden often falls on women and girls, who spend considerable time collecting fuel.
Limited refrigeration and weak cold-chain systems present another obstacle. Fresh fruits and vegetables can spoil quickly, forcing households to depend on dry, shelf-stable foods that may provide sufficient calories but lack essential micronutrients.
Rural families may also travel long distances to reach markets while facing smaller supplies and higher prices than consumers in major urban centers.
Nutrition experts are particularly concerned about the period from conception to a child’s second birthday, commonly described as the first 1,000 days.
Poor nutrition and repeated infections during this period can cause stunting, impaired development and long-term health consequences that may be difficult to reverse.
Although school feeding programs have expanded across Africa, they primarily support children who have already reached school age. African Union figures indicate that such programs now reach more than 86 million children across the continent.
This leaves many pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, infants and children below school age without comparable nutritional support during the most sensitive stage of development.
Nutritionists recommend improving the nutritional value of affordable household staples by combining them with locally available foods.
Beans, cowpeas and groundnuts can be added to maize or rice porridge to provide plant protein, iron, zinc and folate. Small dried fish eaten whole can also supply protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B12.
Pumpkin, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, mangoes, papayas and leafy vegetables can provide vitamin A and other micronutrients. Adding a modest amount of edible oil to porridge can increase its energy content and support the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
Experts stress, however, that household adaptation cannot replace government intervention.
They are calling for social protection payments and child grants to reflect the actual retail cost of a nutritious food basket instead of being determined solely by fixed budgetary limits.
Governments have also been encouraged to develop dietary guidelines based on affordable indigenous foods and the nutritional needs of their populations.
Additional priorities include protecting maternal nutrition, supporting exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months and creating workplace conditions that allow mothers to continue breastfeeding while introducing appropriate complementary foods.
Public health specialists warn that repeatedly advising poor families to improve their children’s diets without addressing food prices and household incomes risks placing responsibility on those with the least power to change the situation.
They maintain that reducing child malnutrition will require coordinated investments in incomes, agriculture, food distribution, clean energy, maternal protection and early-childhood support.
Source: Omanghana
