By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
A new UN Report, ‘ Protect the Promise” published by global partners released has shown that at least 45 million children living in lower- middle- income countries suffered acute malnutrition , and a staggering 149 million were stunted in 2020.
The health challenges was as a result of the devastating effects of conflict, climate extremes and COVID-19 pandemic causing setbacks on children including. adolescents and women particularly in the low and middle income countries like Nigeria and others.
Both malnutrition and Stunting are likely causes to children’s vulnerability to diseases, developmental delay and deaths.
Also in the last 20 years the African Region had witnessed a backsliding in the Stunting with an increased number from 54.4 million to 61.4 million.
According to the Report , Nigeria 1 in 10 U5 children do not live to celebrate their fifth birthday, while an estimated 25 million children were un- or under-vaccinated in 2021 – 6 million more than in 2019 – increasing their risk of contracting deadly and debilitating diseases.
The UN data further reveals that 18% of children 12-23 months old did not receive any vaccinations, which is a relative decrease of 55% from 5 years ago while 1 out of 2 (2.5 in 5) births are attended by skilled birth attendant.
In particular, COVID-19 pandemic caused 80% of children in 104 countries and communities to experience learning- loss because of school closure, also millions of children to miss out on school for more than a year.
More pathetic is that since the beginning of the global pandemic, 10.5 million children lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19 pandemic, the ” Protect to Health” Report showed.
UN Secretary General , Antonio Gutrrres said, “At the core of our unkept promise is the failure to address the gaping inequities at the root of global crises, from the COVID-19 pandemic to conflicts and the climate emergency. The report describes the impacts of these crises on women, children and adolescents, from maternal mortality to education losses to severe malnutrition.”
The Protect the Promise, report is published by global partners, including WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) and Countdown to 2030, as a bi-annual summary of progress in response to the UN Secretary General’s Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy for Women, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health.
The most comprehensive synthesis of evidence on the current state of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, it updates the last Every Woman Every Child Global Strategy Progress Report published in 2020.
