HUNGER has been described as a killer, a silent epidemic, killing more people than AIDS, TB, Diabetes, etc, combined.

Professor James Kweku Renner, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, in an inaugural lecture delivered over the weekend, said that although Africa produces 80 per cent of world food, but have 80 per cent of world malnutrition, adding, that malnutrition and poverty are interrelated. In the lecture titled: “Concern For Nigerian Surviving Children And National Development: The Nutrition Perspective,” recalled that the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of the Military Government some years ago, created not only social problems but also nutritional problems in children.

“This was evident in the numbers of Nutritional Rickets that were documented in a short period of one year compared to what obtained the previous ten years to the introduction of SAP.”

According to Renner, Professor of Pediatrics, SAP may have had its gains, but this was at the cost to the nutritional status of the Nigerian child.

“The lesson learnt, hopefully is that those who conceive of government fiscal policies should always consider the health implications particularly when children are affected.” Milk became costly due to the SAP.

While government policies may be good for administration, such policies won’t be good for the people.

He stated that one of the strategies for child survivor is encouraging exclusive breast-feeding for the first six months of life.

“If nursing mothers hold the view that they are incapable of breast-feeding their babies successfully because of the size of their breast, this constitutes a great hindrance for the strategy.”

It was pointed out that a study has demonstrated that the capacity to lactate adequately is not related to the breast size.

Renner explained that it does not matter whether the breast size is small or large. The size does not matter. What matter is the interest of the mother to feed her children.

He said malnutrition is frequently part of a vicious cycle that includes poverty and disease.

“Socio-economic and political changes that improve health and nutrition can break the cycle, as can specific nutrition and health interventions.”

He submitted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition seeks to contribute to the transformation of this cycle of poverty, malnutrition and disease into a virtuous one of wealth, growth and health.

“Malnutrition usually refers to a number of diseases, each with a specific cause related to one or more nutrients, for example protein, iodine, Vitamin A or iron.”

He stated that malnutrition in children is the consequence of a range of factors that are often related to poor food quality, insufficient food intake.