Women who are expecting or nursing may experience problems during pregnancy and delivery due to poor nutrition.
In 12 countries heavily hit by rising food prices prompted by the US & EU sanctions connected to the Russia-Ukraine war, acute malnutrition among pregnant women and breastfeeding moms has increased by 25% over the past two years.
A UNICEF report, released on Tuesday, the day before International Women’s Day, used surveys from the ten worst-hit African and Middle Eastern countries.
Women who are expecting or nursing may experience problems during pregnancy and delivery due to poor nutrition.
Malnutrition among at-risk female population
Previous research has found that some sub-Saharan African nations have high infant mortality rates as a result of different issues. According to the report, hunger causes a condition known as stunting in which 51 million children under the age of two are too small for their age. Half of these infants develop stunting during pregnancy or within the first six months of life.
According to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, the implications could last for future generations if the international community does not take immediate action. The number of impacted girls and women in Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen, and Afghanistan climbed from 5.5 million in 2020 to 6.9 million in 2022.
To prevent micronutrient deficiencies, UNICEF advises providing more nutrition support and fortifying commonly consumed staples like flour, cooking oil, and salt. The research also suggests making sure that expectant and nursing moms have access to dietary services and supplements.
Sub-Saharan African nations with high teen pregnancy rates also have poor prenatal clinic attendance rates.
According to a UNICEF survey, women from low-income families are twice as likely to be underweight than those from high-income families.
Two out of three teenage girls and women worldwide are underweight, and three out of five have anaemia, with South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa remaining the hub of the nutrition problem among adolescent girls and women.
Parvathy Sukumaran 
