Poor nutrition killing economy, say experts

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanians spend Sh1.16 trillion annually treating malnutrition-related cases affecting children under five years of age.

Experts who spoke to The Citizen termed malnutrition “a national crisis” that could render half the population mentally and physically impeded in 20-years-time because of increasing cases of under malnourished children.

The amount of money spent on treating malnutrition-related diseases such as diarrhoea and malaria for the under-fives is equivalent to 2.6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The expenditure is larger than the annual budget of the ministry of Health and Social Welfare for the 2013/14 financial year (Sh753.8 billion).

The national Nutrition Coordinator of the World Vision, Ms Debora Niyeha, says the fact that 42 per cent of Tanzania’s children that are under five are stunted due to serious malnutrition spells doom for the wellbeing of the nation as a whole. 

When it reaches irreversible levels, malnutrition causes poor brain and body development, which  leads to slackened memory, low thinking capacity, bad performance in class and highly reduced capacity of analysing things.

Malnourished individuals are generally weak and prone to diseases, something that would deal a blow to the quality of the workforce in future.

Reason for por nutrition

Malnutrition does not affect children only; adult do suffer from it as well.

Inadequate breastfeeding, poor eating habits and poverty are high in the list of causes of chronic malnutrition in the country, according to experts.

The Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre acting director, Ms Faith Magambo, says  children who are not properly and continually breastfed for six months are bound to be most malnourished and prone to diseases.

“Women of child-bearing age must improve their diets to be able to continually breastfeed their children for six months,” Ms Magambo noted.

The Special Advisor in the President’s Office, Dr Wilbald Lorri, notes that people do not eat well, not because they don’t have enough food, but because they don’t abide by healthy eating habits.

Despite the fact that farmers cultivate fruits, only a few put them in their daily diets, Dr Lorri noted. Changing people’s mindsets is important if they are to improve their diets.

A research officer at the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre, Ms Anna John, notes that another significant cause of malnutrition is poor health services especially in public hospitals.

Lack of medicine and delayed treatment due to the fact that hospitals are located far away from most people force the body to only depend on food to fight diseases.

This becomes complicated because of most people’s poor diet which weakens individuals even further.

Tanzania is third in Africa among countries with a big number of undernourished children.

It is no wonder that the country records about 130 deaths of children under the age of five everyday, according to data from the ministry of Health and Social Welfare. This means in a year, more than 46, 800 children succumb to malnutrition.

Govt set to avert crisis

The government admits malnutrition is a big problem in the country and the situation is getting worse, says acting Chief Secretary Peniel Lyimo.

 “Nutrition position in the country is saddening and it has already affected productivity and slowed down the rate of development because of reduced efficiency.

But the government will launch a campaign to educate the public on the need to improve diets and breastfeed babies,” says  Mr Lyimo.

Nutrition is basic for the development of the nation and people have to take it seriously because the effects of poor nutrition are not easily noticed, but severe.

Jk to launch campaign today

President Jakaya Kikwete is expected to address the nation today at the launch of a grand campaign to improve diets, dubbed “Good Nutrition is the Foundation of the Country Economic Development: Play Your Part”.

The campaign, to be launched in Dar es Salaam today, will seek to make improved diets a national priority to avert a crisis that is endangering Tanzania’s development.

Reported by By Fariji Msonsa, Henry Mwangonde and Elisha Magolanga