‘Women empowerment key to tackling malnutrition in Nigeria’

Nutrition experts have said it is important to empower women to break the cycle of malnutrition in the country. They gave the advice during the third series of the Protein Challenge webinar organised by Mediacraft Associates. Professor Ibiyemi Olayiwola, a Professor of Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB),  said […]

Nutrition experts have said it is important to empower women to break the cycle of malnutrition in the country.

They gave the advice during the third series of the Protein Challenge webinar organised by Mediacraft Associates.

Professor Ibiyemi Olayiwola, a Professor of Human Nutrition and Dietetics at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB),  said individuals are malnourished, or suffer from under-nutrition if their diet does not provide them with adequate quantity and quality of food, and if they could not fully utilize the food they ate due to illness.

To break the cycle of malnutrition, she said women must be at the centre of the development and governance.

She said the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need women to break the cycle of malnutrition at the community level.

Others include:

-End hunger by women

-Reduce food insecurity with nutrition sensitive agriculture

-Improve nutrition and food safety

-Focusing on the first 1000 days of life

She recommended that the implementation of policies that address improved nutrition knowledge, attitude and practice must involve women.

Dr Adepoju Adeniran, a clinical physician and public health expert said the woman (who is the domestic implementer) could be empowered to make better choices in nutrition.

She said the domestic implementer is the key to the delivery of nutritional policies, adding that nutritional policies targeted in the home could target maternal literacy, access to health information and services and income level.

While saying that protein is essential to proper growth and development, she said protein malnutrition manifests in the age groups differently.

A nutritionist, Josephine Mensah Chukwunweike, advised women to explore more protein options in food preparations and also ensure foods are prepared hygienically.