Bulawayo — The United Nations International Children and Education Fund (UNICEF) says Zimbabwe is under siege from chronic under-nutrition, prompting child mortality to increase by 20 percent in recent months. Child mortality in Zimbabwe currently stands at 925 deaths per every 100 000 births.
Studies have shown that child under nutrition in Zimbabwe is as a result of poor dietary intake and disease blamed on sub optimal feeding practices, especially during the critical periods of pregnancy, infancy and young childhood, an unhealthy household environment and lack of health and nutrition services.
Global analysis confirms that nutrition-related disorders, including stunting, severe wasting, intra-uterine growth restriction and deficiencies of key micronutrients are responsible for about 35 percent of child deaths globally and 11 percent of the total global disease burden.
These nutrition-related disorders are highly prevalent in Zimbabwe and are estimated to contribute to approximately 12 000 under-five child deaths every year.
Child under nutrition is also related to maternal nutritional status.
In Zimbabwe, about 10 percent of children are born with low birth weight, while an estimated nine percent of women of reproductive age have a body mass index of less than 18,5 percent, which is considered very thin.
UNICEF health specialist, Ranganai Mathema, said 10 districts were identified as the worst affected, among them were Manicaland, parts of Matabeleland, Midlands, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West.
"As a result, we have quite a number of children who are dying because of chronic under nutrition in Zimbabwe. As you can see from the map, there is nowhere where we have green, there are negative signs countrywide, which means the whole country is under siege from chronic under nutrition," she said.
Limited progress has been made in reducing illness and deaths of children in Zimbabwe so far. According to the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, the high levels of malnutrition depict food insecurity in the country.
The ministry said much of the progress made in improving nutrition has been eroded by recurrent droughts, poor economic performance and HIV and Aids. Child Protection specialist, Elayn Sammon, said 3,5 million children in Zimbabwe were born to parents living below the poverty datum line.
This has prompted intervention of developmental agencies like UNICEF and others to partner with government to initiate Harmonised Social Cash Transfer Programme, which is an unconditional cash transfer for households who are both labour constrained and food poor.
Sammon said 18 637 households from the first 10 districts had benefitted so far from the first phase of the programme, while phase two was targeting a further 10 districts by October this year.
Under the scheme, food poor households are entitled to receive about US$20 every two months.
Indications are that Zimbabwe is unlikely to meet goal number four of the Millennium Development Goals which is to reduce infant mortality by two thirds by 2015.
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