THE worldwide unprecedented social and economic crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic poses grave risks to the nutritional status and thus threats survival of the young children of low-income and middle-income households. The particular concern is an unexpected increase in child malnutrition due to steep declines in household incomes, decline in the availability and affordability of nutritious foods, and interruptions to health, nutrition, and social protection services. In a webinar in the city on Monday experts said 95 per cent households experienced income loss and 51 per cent households’ income reduced to almost zero due to Covid-19. Without adequate action, the profound impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on early life nutrition could have intergenerational consequences for child growth and development and life-long impacts on education, chronic disease risks, and overall human capital formation.
The economic, food, and health systems disruptions resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic are expected to continue to exacerbate all forms of malnutrition. Estimates from the International Food Policy Research Institute suggest that because of the pandemic an additional 140 million people will be thrown into living in extreme poverty on less than US$1·90 per day in 2020. According to the World Food Programme, the number of people in low and middle income countries facing acute food insecurity will nearly double to 265 million by the end of 2020. Sharp declines are expected in access to child health and nutrition services, similar to those seen during the 2014-16 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in sub-Saharan Africa.
The disruption of other health services during lockdowns will further compromise maternal and child health and mortality and with the deepening of economic and food systems crises, other forms of malnutrition, including child stunting, micronutrient malnutrition, and maternal nutrition, are expected to increase. The government must focus on the malnutrition issue and provide livelihood opportunities for low and middle income families and ensure affordability of nutritious food intake by lowering the price of essential goods.
