Global Nutrition Targets 2025: Where Does Cameroon Stand?

We all know that nutrition is the foundation of life, but most people in some parts of the world do not have access to nutritious food, which leads to poor health and well-being. Malnutrition remains a burden and a challenging issue, especially in most low and middle-income countries. People around the world suffer from at least one form of malnutrition. Malnutrition is defined as poor nutrition due to deficiencies, inadequate or excess intake of nutrients.

Undernutrition and overnutrition are two forms of malnutrition. Undernutrition is the most common type of malnutrition in African countries. Undernutrition leads to poor growth and development (stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiency), while overnutrition leads to Obesity and overweight.

To capture and monitor progress on ending all forms of malnutrition, a multi-stakeholder initiative called the Global Nutrition Report carries out an independent assessment of data on the state of nutrition at the global, regional, and country-level [1]. The goal is to use data produced each year to shed light on where progress has been made and identify where challenges remain towards ending all forms of malnutrition [1].

To improve maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN), a comprehensive implementation plan was endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2012 [2]. This plan includes six global nutrition targets whose aim by 2025 is to:

1. achieve a 20% reduction in the number of children under 5 who are stunted [2];

2. reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5% [2];

3. achieve a 50% reduction of anemia in women of reproductive age [2];

4. achieve a 30% reduction in low birth weight [2];

5. ensure that there is no increase in childhood overweight [2];

6. increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months up to at least 50% [2].

Global targets serve as guidance, help identify priority areas, inspire ambition at a national level, and develop an accountability framework. So, how is Cameroon doing so far? According to the Global Nutrition Report, Cameroon is on track to meet 2 of the global nutrition targets for MIYCN [3]. 39.4% of infants aged 0 to 5 months were exclusively breastfed while for wasting, 4.3% of children under 5 years old are affected respectively [3].

Some progress has been made on stunting, however, 28.9% of children under 5 years old are still affected [3]. No progress has been made on anemia, low birth weight, obesity, and diabetes. 40.6% of women (15 to 49 years old) of reproductive age are still affected [3].12% of infants have low weight at birth while 11% of children under 5 years old are overweight. In adult women (18 years and above), 19.2% are living with obesity [3]. 8.3% of adult women (18 years and above) are living with diabetes.

Cameroon still has a lot of work to do, and policymakers have to step in to design targeted nutrition interventions and policies. Tailored intervention gives a better understanding of the target group to reduce malnutrition. For example, affordable access to quality antenatal and postnatal care services is essential for our expectant mothers. These services include nutrition education and health promotion.

Expectant mothers who do not receive prenatal care are more likely to give birth to babies with low birth weight. And those who do not receive postnatal care will most likely not breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months. Healthy mothers give birth to healthy children. Other examples, such as implementing policies on reducing salt consumption, soda beverage taxes, limiting the advertisement of junk food and sugary drinks to children, etc., should be prioritized.

If Cameroon could ban shisha pipe smoking, they could implement policies or nutrition strategies to reduce or eliminate all forms of malnutrition.

References

1. 2021 Global Nutrition Report. (2022). Retrieved 20 March 2022, from https://globalnutritionreport.org/

2. Global nutrition targets 2025: policy brief series. (2022). Retrieved 20 March 2022, from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-NMH-NHD-14.2

3. Country Nutrition Profiles. (2022). Retrieved 20 March 2022, from https://globalnutritionreport.org/resources/nutrition-profiles/africa/middle-africa/cameroon/

4. Malnutrition Image Cred: https://stringfixer.com/tags/malnutrition