Why it’s crucial to fight poverty in ending child malnutrition

Protect breastfeeding: A shared responsibility” was the theme of the just ended World Breastfeeding Week which is celebrated from August 1 to 7 annually.

Breastfeeding is the right of every child, whose mother is there, and able to produce milk. Mother’s milk is the best food for the babies as it has everything that a baby needs to grow. But often, things look so natural and easy; often can be turned into complications in the name of ignorance or any other reason.

In 1981, when the breastfeeding week promotion drive was put to gear, it was to protect families from aggressive marketing tactics by infant formula makers, which sought to promote breast-milk substitutes. More mothers started to opt for the formulas instead of breastfeeding.

If every mother in a country would stop breastfeeding and the young one use formulas, it would produce several millionaires. But what is the health implication to the babies? What happens when we get fake formulas?

Fast forward today, in the Tanzanian context, we have a significant number of children suffering stunted growth, and one of the reasons is that they were not appropriately breastfed in the first six months after they were born.

According to Ministry of Health’s Nutrition Services’ assistant director Grace Moshi, the breastfeeding week reminds us of the need to follow proper breastfeeding procedures and build a stable health foundation for our children.

In 2014, Tanzania Ministry of Health conducted the first National Nutrition Survey, the results were devastating. At national level, stunting or chronic malnutrition was identified in 34.7 percent of children aged 0-59 months. Although in the 2018 survey there was a decrease by 2.9 percent (from 34.7 percent to 31.8 percent) yet the problem is still high. In 2014, “severe stunting was found in 11.5 percent of children countrywide”. The 2018 survey results show that “approximately 3 million children under five years of age are stunted in Tanzania in 2018”.

It’s notable that our country has managed to reach food self-sufficiency for over ten years now, yet malnutrition among a cross-section of the society remains. When we come to infant malnutrition, it starts with not breastfeeding the young ones. The reasons some Tanzanians give for not breastfeeding are outrageous. For instance, some women think breastfeeding destroys their breasts (makes them sag), or they would rather not breastfed so that they are able to take care of their men! In some cases, we have heard of men who are breastfed instead of children! This is madness, but a sad reality.

Whenever we hear of child malnutrition, it’s not only about misinformed mothers but in some cases we have loving mothers who want to breastfeed their babies but suffer from poverty. Yes, poverty is real. Some mothers don’t produce adequate milk because they are not able to get food (forget about a balanced food).

For children, one of the manifestations of poverty is a lack of an appropriate diet that may lead to stunted growth. When children go to school with empty stomachs, their power to learn and concentrate is greatly reduced.

Our religious books tell us to help the poor and feed the hungry. In most African traditional society if someone comes to you, ask for something to eat and you have food/money, you just give him/her.

Today, we live in a digital world where social media rules the day. Unfortunately, the poor may not be able to share their poverty online. They even can’t afford a smartphone, internet or decent meals. Thanks to those who volunteer to speak on their behalf (voice of the voiceless) and meet their medical bills, accommodation etc. However, those who are helped are very few compared to the majority needy. Let’s help the needy, we’ll be blessed more!