Zambia, like many other countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, experienced El Niño weather conditions that caused severe drought, leading to nearly 100 percent crop failure in 84 of the country’s 116 districts.
By Alfonso Kasongo (Lusaka, Zambia)
The recent drought is likely to exacerbate malnutrition levels in Zambia, with nearly 52,000 children under the age of five in four provinces at risk of developing wasting, a form of lethal malnutrition, next year if no preventive measures are taken, according to a survey by Zambia’s National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC).
Another 276,000 children in the same age group are expected to experience moderate wasting.
The findings reveal that over half of the households in five of the six surveyed provinces (Western, Southern, Central, and North-Western) are currently experiencing moderate to severe hunger. Western Province is the hardest hit, with over 88 percent of households facing hunger and almost half experiencing severe hunger, putting children at high risk of malnutrition.
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The report indicates that many families in the surveyed regions are unable to provide nutritious food, further endangering children’s health. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 112,000 women will also experience wasting, with nearly 13,000 facing the most severe cases. The highest wasting rates among pregnant and breastfeeding women are in Central (14.7 percent), Western (13.4 percent), Southern (10.4 percent), and Lusaka Rural (10.3 percent).
UNICEF Director of Global Communication and Advocacy Naysan Sahba emphasized the critical need for action, stating, “Children suffering from malnutrition are ten times more likely to die than well-nourished children.
“If we do not act now, there may be devastating and long-lasting effects on the health, nutrition, and development of Zambia’s youngest and most vulnerable population.
“We must urgently expand access to nutritious and diverse food, health services, and water, hygiene, and sanitation services to avert the looming crisis.”
The Executive Director of the National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC), Mutanga Mapani noted that the survey data clearly shows the potential for a significant rise in malnutrition rates without timely interventions. She highlighted the urgent need for preventive measures to avoid a severe malnutrition crisis.
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A Standardised Monitoring and Assessment Relief Toolkit (SMART) survey by NFNC indicates that over 50,000 children in Zambia’s 84 drought-stricken districts are at risk of developing severe wasting, the most lethal form of malnutrition, next year.
Dr. Mapani stressed the importance of immediate action, attributing the malnutrition risk to widespread hunger and difficulty in accessing nutritious food.
“We are at a critical juncture. The findings of this SMART survey highlight the immediate need for preventive measures to avoid a severe malnutrition crisis. Without timely interventions, we could see a significant rise in malnutrition rates, particularly among children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women,” she said.
Statistics highlighted by the Food and Agricultural Organization’s National Coordinator for Nutrition, Rhoda Mofya-Mukuka, during a media workshop on climate change, food security, and nutrition, show that Zambia experiences all forms of malnutrition.
Ms. Mofya noted that 35 percent of children in Zambia are stunted, 41 percent of pregnant women experience micronutrient deficiencies, resulting in 9 percent of children being born with low birth weight, 28 percent of breastfeeding women, and 58 percent of children under five are anaemic.
Additionally, 54 percent of children under the age of five have vitamin A deficiency.
Ms. Mofya warned that such weather conditions could further worsen micronutrient deficiencies and compromise the health of the population.
