Due to lack of vitamin
and mineral deficiencies, Nigeria is annually losing over $1.5 billion, an
estimated N459.3 billion, in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) according to the World Bank, reports ITRealms.
This, ITRealms gathered,
is coming as Nigeria needs some $912 million to tackle the malnutrition menace, especially on children,
just as World Bank ranks Nigeria’s Human Development
Index (HDI) at 158 out of the
182 countries, whereas life expectancy stood at 48 years.
According
to the latest Nutrition at a Glance released by the World
Bank and made available to ITRealms, annually,
“Nigeria loses over US$1.5 billion in GDP to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.”
Stressing that scaling up core micronutrient interventions will cost less than
US$188 million per year.
World
Bank also said that over one-third of child deaths in Nigeria are attributed to
undernutrition, mostly from increased severity of disease.
ITRealms also reports that children
who are undernourished between conception and age two, are at high risk for
impaired cognitive development, which adversely affects the country’s
productivity and growth.
The
economic costs of undernutrition, ITRealms reports, include direct
costs such as the increased burden on the health care system, and indirect
costs of lost in productivity.
“Childhood
anemia alone is associated with a 2.5 per cent drop in adult wages,” World Bank
group said.
Nigeria,
World Bank said, is the country with the 3rd highest absolute number of
children who are stunted, however, Nigeria has achieved near universal salt
iodization as 97 per cent of households consume iodized salt.
“This
is a major factor in preventing iodine deficiency, which can cause Intelligent
Quotient (IQ) loss in infants and young children. Nigeria should be commended
for this achievement and universal salt iodization is important to continue,”
part of the report read.
Chuks Egbune/GEE
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