‘2m children at risk of stunted growth’

SAVE the Children, an international non-governmental organisation, has stated that 2.4 million Nigerian children would be physically and mentally stunted over the next few years if no concerted action was taken concerning the upsurge of malnutrition among minors in the country.

According to the organisation, so far, over 40 per cent of Nigerian children under the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition, a condition which contributes to preventable child mortality and impairs physical and cognitive growth of children.

Country Director of the organisation, Susan Grant, stated this yesterday in Abuja at the launch of a book titled: A Life Free From Hunger.

Grant said malnutrition had been the underlying cause of more than 2.6 million deaths among children every year.

She expressed fear over the possibility of Nigeria meeting the 2015 deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) goals 1,4 and 5 if the three-tiers of government did not take adequate steps to address hunger and malnutrition, especially in children and pregnant women.