COTONOU, Oct 3 (The African Portal) – Around 181 million children under the age of five worldwide live in severe food poverty, lacking diets essential for physical and cognitive development, UNICEF said in a report published on Thursday.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for about 57 million of those children, many of whom rely on only two food groups, leaving them without the nutrients needed for healthy growth, the report said.
To tackle the crisis, UNICEF, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the government of Benin launched the First Foods Africa Initiative in Cotonou. The programme seeks to strengthen food systems and ensure children have access to safe, affordable and nutritious diets.
“The launch of First Foods Africa is a decisive step towards eradicating child malnutrition and building resilient food systems across the continent,” said Prof. Julio Rakotonirina, AUC Director of Health and Humanitarian Affairs.
The initiative will initially target 14 African countries, focusing on local food production, stronger policies and behaviour change campaigns to improve children’s diets.
UNICEF is also setting up a Child Nutrition Fund to mobilise resources, technical support and private sector investment. Officials from Benin and UNICEF said child nutrition must be central to Africa’s development agenda.
Civil society groups and private sector leaders pledged support at the launch, with UNICEF and the AU stressing that Africa’s future depends on the health of its youngest citizens.
