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According to the latest UNICEF data, the problem of malnutrition affects approximately 200 million children worldwide. It results not only in stunted growth and significant underweight, but also in a number of psychological diseases. In the time of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the topic of malnutrition has been slightly relegated to the background. Wrong, because it should be louder about the humanitarian crisis of the XNUMXst century than before. In extreme cases, malnutrition can be fatal.
What influences the development of child malnutrition in the world?
It would seem that the problem of malnutrition should not take place nowadays. How wrong we are, the Argentine writer Martín Caparrós has already explained to us in his reportage book “Hunger”. The problem of malnutrition consists of many factors, including primarily the economic, social and political situation of a given country, as well as military conflicts that take place on its territory. This condition is exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has closed many borders and made access to food difficult.
One of the countries that is particularly severely affected by malnutrition is Yemen, where as many as 80% of the inhabitants need help. Access to food there is much more difficult, and if it is there, the average citizen simply cannot afford it. The situation is dramatic and malnutrition mainly affects children and women. It is estimated that 2 million children are malnourished and 325 are malnourished. it is on the verge of life and death. Thanks to humanitarian aid organized by UNICEF, we have a real impact on helping the most needy. In 2020, in just 6 months, the organization donated products to the inhabitants of Yemen with a total value of approximately USD 11 million.
The lives of thousands of women and children are at risk. We are able to prevent and treat severe malnutrition through access to basic services. For this, however, immediate action and financial resources are needed. Helping women and children should be a priority, says Philippe Duamelle, UNICEF representative in Yemen.
What is malnutrition – symptoms and long-term effects
According to the definition provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition is a state of imbalance between the demand for nutrients, and hence energy, and the supply that would allow the maintenance of basic life functions, including growth. All of this takes place at the cellular level and negatively affects the physiological processes that take place in human cells, tissues and organs. Simply put, malnutrition is a shortage of the right amount of calories and nutrients for the optimal functioning of the body.
Malnutrition is especially dangerous in the case of very young children, whose first effects are noticed after a few days, which may lead to the development of serious complications.
Children in whom this condition takes two forms: kwashiorkor and marasmus, are primarily exposed to the negative effects of malnutrition.
- Kwashiorkor – is a situation where the child eats the amount of calories appropriate for his age, but his diet lacks protein, which is the reason, among others, for the formation of hunger puffiness.
- Marasmus – results from both an insufficient supply of calories and proteins.
The main physical symptoms of malnutrition are:
- swelling around the abdomen and limbs,
- insufficient weight gain or rapid weight loss,
- problem with excessive hair loss, flaky skin, brittle nails,
- reduction of the thickness of the subcutaneous tissue,
- skin discoloration,
- mouth ulcers,
- in girls, menstruation may become disturbed or atrophied.
It should not be forgotten that children suffering from malnutrition have great problems with concentration, and therefore it is more difficult for them to assimilate knowledge. This negatively affects their level of education and makes it difficult to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty. Cognitive abilities are also deteriorated. Moreover, insufficient supply of nutrients may lead to the development of serious mental disorders, especially depression. In severe cases, severe malnutrition is fatal.
Chronic malnutrition can lead to muscle wasting, rickets, anemia, scurvy, osteoporosis, and severe immunosuppression, making the body more susceptible to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.
Treatment of malnutrition
In theory, the best way to prevent malnutrition in children is to prevent it by providing them with a balanced diet rich in vitamins and other nutrients. Especially in the period of growth. In practice, however, especially in developing countries and those with economic instability, it is more difficult and requires the involvement of organizations such as UNICEF.
UNICEF has been successfully supplying a therapeutic paste for the treatment of malnutrition around the world for many years. The organization is now also delivering it to children in need in Yemen. The paste consists of ground peanuts and is packed in special sachets. The caloric value of one package is as much as 500 kcal. It is enough for a child to eat three such sachets a day, and in a week they will gain weight. When a child is extremely malnourished, he or she is given high-calorie therapeutic milk, also provided by UNICEF.
In Yemen, it is crucial to maintain the food system. Especially as rising rates of malnutrition will be felt by the next generations of Yemenis. UNICEF Polska runs the campaign “Aid for Yemen”. Anyone can support it by making a donation once or monthly via the website unicef.pl/jemen. UNICEF knows how to help, but needs donors to help children in Yemen. The funds received are allocated to food programs, and above all to the treatment of malnutrition in children.