Call for action as report reveals nutrition crisis in early childhood

The food and beverage industry has been called upon to invest in the production and promotion of nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable foods for children that are low in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. 

This follows a recent United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) report on child nutrition, which found that a worrying number of young children in low- and middle-income countries are consuming ultra-processed foods and beverages.

Ultra-processed foods and beverages are manufactured using industrial processes and are typically low in essential nutrients and high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. They are widely available, inexpensive, convenient and marketed in ways that appeal to children and their families.

According to the Child Food Poverty Report 2024, more than one in five children in Kenya consume unhealthy foods and/or sugary drinks, despite only eating two or fewer food groups per day. This can lead to more nutritious foods being excluded from these children’s diets. 

Unicef defines child food poverty as the inability of children to access and consume a nutritious and diverse diet in early childhood. “The underlying determinants of child malnutrition in Kenya are poor child nutrition, inadequate infant and young child feeding practices, lack of responsive child care and poor access to health and nutrition services. Invest in the production and promotion of nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable foods that are low in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats for young children and their families,” reads part of the report.

According to the report, five per cent of children living in severe  food poverty had consumed unhealthy foods, while 27 per cent had consumed a sugary drink in the previous 24 hours. This is because families living in extreme income poverty find it difficult to afford nutritious foods, especially animal-based foods such as eggs, meat, poultry, fish and dairy products, which cost much more per calorie than staple foods.

Unicef and the World Health Organization recommend that young children from six months of age should consume meat-based foods, including meat, poultry and fish or eggs, as well as fruits and vegetables, on a daily basis because these foods are more nutritious and provide a greater variety of micronutrients than starchy staple foods.

The report shows that 18 per cent of children living in child food poverty are fed meat, compared to 65 per cent of children not living in child food poverty, while only 10 per cent of children living in child food poverty are fed eggs, compared to more than half of children not living in child food poverty. 

Similarly, consumption of vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables and other fruits and vegetables is much lower among young children living in child food poverty, at 33 per cent and 16 per cent respectively, compared with 85 per cent and 71 per cent among children not living in child food poverty.

Laura Kiige, a nutrition specialist at Unicef Kenya, said  every meal for an infant or young child, whether through breast milk or complementary foods, is a critical opportunity to provide the energy, protein, vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients that children’s bodies need to grow and develop. Parents and caregivers lay the foundation for a healthy future by providing nutritious meals for their infants and young children, she said.

“The evidence is compelling that a diverse diet in early childhood, rich in all essential nutrients, is the key to unlocking a child’s full potential. It paves the way for optimal growth, development and learning, ensuring good physical and mental health and a brighter future. Improving the quality of children’s food and feeding practices in the early years is the cornerstone of preventing malnutrition in all its forms,” said Ms Kiige.

She further noted that Ultra-processed foods are major drivers of today’s broken food system and the global epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and poor mental health in children and adolescents.

“The triple burden is increasingly concentrated in low- and middle-income countries, driven by a broken food system that fails to provide children with the nutritious diets they need. The poor quality of children’s diets is the main driver of the triple burden of child malnutrition: undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight,” said Ms Kiige.

Last year, WHO published a new guideline recommending that countries implement mandatory measures to protect children of all ages from the marketing of foods and soft drinks high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. 

Kenya has achieved notable progress in reducing the overall prevalence of stunting from 35 per cent in 2008-2009 to 18 per cent in 2022. 

Nationally, 16 per cent of children experience severe food poverty, with some counties, especially those in arid and semi-arid regions facing harsh climatic conditions, reporting a stunting prevalence of over 40 per cent among children.

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