Childhood stunting is also stunting our economy. Here are five ways to fix that
Make a list of the country's 10 priorities for national development. Now whittle them down to five. Does your shortlist include giving children enough nutritious food to eat? If not, you're missing an essential part of what countries need to grow their economies: children who are well nourished and ready to learn, grow up to be skilled and productive workers that drive economic growth.
South Africa has a stubbornly high stunting rate, an indicator of chronic malnutrition that measures if a child is too short for their age. It has hovered around 25% since the 1990s. Meanwhile, our per capita GDP — a measure of a country's standard of living — is 10% smaller than it could be if our children were not physically and intellectually damaged by a lack of nutritious food.
Despite tough economic circumstances, we can make a massive difference to child nutrition. Peru halved its rate of stunting among children in just eight years (2008 to 2016), and Chile has pretty much eliminated it. Social grants played a large role in those countries. Here, the child support grant (CSG) has also had significant impact, with stunting almost a third lower among eligible children who get the grant when compared to those who don't. But the CSG is not keeping up with food inflation. That means we need to use other strategies that could be implemented immediately.
1. Make proteins cheaper
The 15,000 children admitted annually to hospitals with severe acute malnutrition lack protein from food like fish or lentils, energy from carbohydrates like pap and essential minerals and vitamins (micronutrients) like iron, zinc and Vitamin A which are found in fruit, vegetables and meat. Chronically malnourished children often get enough energy, but not enough protein and micronutrients for their bodies and brains to grow optimally. This is one of the main reasons the proportion of underweight children younger than five years is 7.7%, but stunting, which is often linked to poor brain development, is almost four times higher.
The body can convert excess carbohydrates into some amino acids — the building blocks of protein — but it can't produce nine amino acids that are essential for normal growth. Child obesity among poorer children is often linked to a shortage of protein as cash-strapped parents buy cheaper processed foods and starches. This is why we are seeing an increase in the percentage of children who are both overweight and stunted.
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TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Childhood stunting is also stunting our economy. Here are five ways to fix that
Make a list of the country's 10 priorities for national development. Now whittle them down to five. Does your shortlist include giving children enough nutritious food to eat? If not, you're missing an essential part of what countries need to grow their economies: children who are well nourished and ready to learn, grow up to be skilled and productive workers that drive economic growth. South Africa has a stubbornly high stunting rate, an indicator of chronic malnutrition that measures if a child is too short for their age. It has hovered around 25% since the 1990s. Meanwhile, our per capita GDP — a measure of a country's standard of living — is 10% smaller than it could be if our children were not physically and intellectually damaged by a lack of nutritious food. Despite tough economic circumstances, we can make a massive difference to child nutrition. Peru halved its rate of stunting among children in just eight years (2008 to 2016), and Chile has pretty much eliminated it. Social grants played a large role in those countries. Here, the child support grant (CSG) has also had significant impact, with stunting almost a third lower among eligible children who get the grant when compared to those who don't. But the CSG is not keeping up with food inflation. That means we need to use other strategies that could be implemented immediately. 1. Make proteins cheaper The 15,000 children admitted annually to hospitals with severe acute malnutrition lack protein from food like fish or lentils, energy from carbohydrates like pap and essential minerals and vitamins (micronutrients) like iron, zinc and Vitamin A which are found in fruit, vegetables and meat. Chronically malnourished children often get enough energy, but not enough protein and micronutrients for their bodies and brains to grow optimally. This is one of the main reasons the proportion of underweight children younger than five years is 7.7%, but stunting, which is often linked to poor brain development, is almost four times higher. The body can convert excess carbohydrates into some amino acids — the building blocks of protein — but it can't produce nine amino acids that are essential for normal growth. Child obesity among poorer children is often linked to a shortage of protein as cash-strapped parents buy cheaper processed foods and starches. This is why we are seeing an increase in the percentage of children who are both overweight and stunted.
Eyewitness News
19-05-2025
- Eyewitness News
Grant to prevent malnutrition is in limbo
More than a decade since it was first proposed, the Maternal Support Grant (MSG) policy remains in limbo. 'Children of mothers who are malnourished in pregnancy have higher odds of poor birth outcomes, including low birthweight, undernutrition, poor neurodevelopment, and increased risk of chronic diseases in later life,' says Dr Wanga Zembe, senior specialist scientist at the South African Medical Research Council. In South Africa, 29% of children under five are stunted, and 2.5-million live in nutritionally insecure households. This comes as civil society groups have renewed calls for the government to fast-track the process to get monetary support to pregnant women. The current proposal suggests that the maternal grant be an extension of the existing Child Support Grant. But this may not happen anytime soon. This week, the Department of Social Development (DSD) confirmed that the draft MSG policy, in the making since 2012, has not yet reached Cabinet. In November 2024, the draft policy was submitted to the Social Protection, Community and Human Development (SPCHD) Cabinet Committee, but was 'sent back for further work,' said department spokesperson Bathembu Futshane. He said the committee 'did not obtain general support' for the draft and raised several issues, including the need for a joint government approach to poverty, unemployment and inequality. The current proposal suggests that the maternal grant be an extension of the existing Child Support Grant (CSG). Other recommendations included factoring in fiscal constraints, avoiding 'creating a dependency syndrome,' considering conditions for the grant, and aligning with food security and economic transformation goals, he said. But civil society groups believe this delay is 'deeply disappointing'. The MSG Advocacy Coalition, made up of organisations and researchers, said: 'It has been more than a decade since the DSD commissioned research on the benefits of a pregnancy support grant. That body of evidence has only grown stronger.' The coalition said the South African Law Reform Commission had already identified the absence of income support for pregnant women as a gap in the country's social security framework and recommended a pregnancy grant. 'It is unclear what the binding constraint is, considering the coherent legal arguments in favour of the MSG and the urgent need to improve maternal and infant nutrition.' The group urged the DSD to talk openly with other departments and prepare the policy for resubmission. 'While DSD has demonstrated support for the MSG, buy-in from across government is needed, starting with the Presidency.' According to the group, the MSG would require between R1.89-billion and R3.26-billion annually. But potential savings to the public health system could exceed R13-billion by preventing low birth weight complications, the group said. 'Social protections are not acts of charity, they are critical investments.' WHY SHOULD PREGNANT MOTHERS GET STATE SUPPORT? According to Dr Wanga Zembe: 'It is essential for pregnant women to have access to nutritious food, as a baby's survival — both as a foetus in-utero and as a child once born — literally depends on it.' Zembe said maternal nutrition is key to foetal development, immune systems and cognitive ability. She warned that poor maternal nutrition has 'far-reaching consequences' for a child's life, productivity and long-term health. 'Stunting has devastating impacts on child development, especially cognitive development, leading to delays, poor school performance and reduced productivity.' Zembe referred to UNICEF's 2021 global guidance on maternal nutrition study, which highlighted the importance of improving women's diets before and during pregnancy as well as while breastfeeding. A 2024 Global Health Action review found that conditional cash transfers for women in Sub-Saharan Africa were associated with improved child survival rates, reduced foetal and infant mortality, and enhanced functional health outcomes, such as decreased illness episodes. Unconditional cash transfers were linked to improved maternal well-being, including fewer symptoms of depression. (Conditional cash transfers require recipients to meet specific criteria, like attending health checkups, while unconditional grants would be given without any requirements.) Nicola Eley, deputy director at the Grow Great campaign, said, '25% of all pregnant women in SA have reported going to bed hungry. That's not just a statistic. It represents thousands of mothers and their unborn babies and futures being shaped.' She said the first 1,000 days, from conception to a child's second birthday, are critical. 'Stunting impairs both physical and brain development. It compromises learning, weakens immune systems and increases lifelong health risks.' Eley said people can only apply for the child support grant once the child is born, with 52% of eligible children accessing it only after their first birthday. 'By then, the critical window for brain and body development has passed. It's like trying to build a house after the foundation has started crumbling.' Meanwhile, the MSG Advocacy Coalition has refuted claims that the MSG will 'incentivise pregnancy and create dependency'. This article first appeared on GroundUp. Read the original article here.
eNCA
09-05-2025
- eNCA
Measles roars back in the US, topping 1,000 cases
WASHINGTON - The United States' measles outbreak has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases with three deaths so far, state and local data showed Friday, marking a stark resurgence of a vaccine-preventable disease that the nation once declared eliminated. The surge comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to undermine confidence in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine -- a highly effective shot he has falsely claimed is dangerous and contains fetal debris. An AFP tally showed there have been at least 1,012 cases since the start of the year, with Texas accounting for more than 70 percent. A vaccine-skeptical Mennonite Christian community straddling the Texas–New Mexico border has been hit particularly hard. A federal database maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lagged behind state and county reporting, as the globally renowned health agency faces deep workforce and budget cuts under President Donald Trump's administration. North Dakota is the latest state to report an outbreak, with nine cases so far. Around 180 school students have been forced to quarantine at home, according to the North Dakota Monitor. "This is a virus that's the most contagious infectious disease of mankind and it's now spreading like wildfire," Paul Offit a pediatrician and vaccine expert at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia told AFP. He warned the true case count could be far higher, as people shy away from seeking medical attention. "Those three deaths equal the total number of deaths from measles in the last 25 years in this country." The fatalities so far include two young girls in Texas and an adult in New Mexico, all unvaccinated -- making it the deadliest US measles outbreak in decades. It is also the highest number of cases since 2019, when outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey resulted in 1,274 infections but no deaths. - Vaccine misinformation - Nationwide immunisation rates have been dropping in the United States, fueled by misinformation about vaccines, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The CDC recommends a 95 percent vaccination rate to maintain herd immunity. However, measles vaccine coverage among kindergartners has dropped from 95.2 percent in the 2019–2020 school year to 92.7 percent in 2023–2024. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory virus spread through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or simply breathes. Known for its characteristic rash, it poses a serious risk to unvaccinated individuals, including infants under 12 months who are not ordinarily eligible for vaccination, and those with weakened immune systems. While measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, outbreaks persist each year. Susan McLellan, an infectious disease professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, slammed RFK Jr for his misleading messaging promoting remedies, including Vitamin A which has valid but limited uses, over vaccines. "Saying we're going to devote resources to studying therapies instead of enhancing uptake of the vaccine is a profoundly inefficient way of addressing a vaccine-preventable disease," she told AFP. McLellan added that the crisis reflects broader erosion in public trust in health authorities. It is hard for an individual untrained in statistics to understand measles is a problem if they don't personally see deaths around them, she said. "Believing population-based statistics takes a leap, and that's public health."
