Five in six children under two years old are not fed enough nutritious food for their age, depriving them of the energy and nutrients they need at the most critical time in their physical and cognitive development, according to a new UNICEF report.
“Infants and young children have the greatest nutrient needs than at any other time in life. But the bodies and brains of millions of young children do not reach their full potential because they are receiving too little food, too late,” said France Begin, Senior Nutrition Adviser at UNICEF.
“Poor nutrition at such a young age causes irreversible mental and physical damage.”
The nutrition situation in Pakistan for children under two is dire. Children are not getting enough food nor nutritious food. Three in ten babies haven’t been fed any solid foods by the age of 11 months.
While slightly more than half of the children are fed the minimum number of times per day, a rate slightly better than rates seen globally, children are not getting enough food.
Nearly 5 out of 10 children in households face moderate or severe food insecurity. While 30 out of every 100 children globally eat four or more food groups a day, only 3 in 100 of children in Pakistan have that luxury.
Virtually no children get the right vitamins and minerals in their diets. An average household in Pakistan spends more on tea, sugar, confectionaries than vegetables, fruit, nuts, and meat.
The vast majority simply cannot afford a nutritious diet. UNICEF data show that poor nutritional practices– including the delayed introduction of solid foods, infrequent meals and lack of food variety – are widespread, depriving children of essential nutrients when their growing brains, bones and bodies need them the most.
The findings reveal that Globally, making nutritious foods affordable and accessible to the poorest children will require stronger and more targeted investments from governments and the private sector.
Cash or in-kind transfers to vulnerable families; crop diversification programmes; and fortification of staple foods are key to improving nutrition for young children.
Community-based health services that help caregivers learn better feeding practices, and safe water and sanitation – absolutely critical in preventing diarrhoea among children – are also vital.
