Connect with us

General News

Kenya: Coronavirus Worsens Malnutrition Burden

Published

6 years ago

on

[ad_1]

As the fight against Covid-19 intensifies, more Kenyans are joining the starving lot, with the most affected being children.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the situation will likely further the burden of malnutrition in Africa.

“The impact of the disease is expected to be greater among those grappling with food scarcity and malnutrition, while widespread food insecurity will likely increase due to movement restrictions,” WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said, adding that susceptibility to diseases will be heightened.

Already Kenya is not doing well in terms of food security. In a recent Global Hunger Index report, the country scored 25.2, which means the situation is serious, and remained at position 86 out of 117 countries listed in the report.

Nationally, 26.2 per cent of children under five years are stunted and four per cent suffer from wasting, a situation set to be worsened by the pandemic.

Due to restrictions, many families in the low-income sector cannot access a balanced diet, further threatening the lives of children.

According to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), the food insecure population in Kenya will likely be highest in May and June “due to a decline in food access among poor urban households”.

FOOD INSECURITY

Currently, most arid counties are “food stressed” and by June the situation will start to deteriorate, according to FEWS NET.

“It is a difficult situation for both children and parents. We are in a very peculiar circumstance due to the pandemic and the measures which governments have taken,” said Ms Rosemary Ngaruro, a nutritionist.