By Yvonne Arunga, Country Director, Save the Children Kenya and Madagascar

 The case for making investments in children’s nutrition is undisputed. Adequate nutrition is necessary for children’s holistic growth, and to unlock their full potential, it is imperative that these investments are made more robustly.

This opinion piece underscores the urgency of increased investments by the national government, counties, and other actors, in children’s nutrition despite Kenya’s current macro-economic conditions.

The results from Kenya’s most recent Demographic Health Survey (DHS 2022) as pertains to children’s nutrition shows much improvement since the last survey in 2014. However, there remains significant room for improvement.

The survey highlights the continued challenge of malnutrition in Kenya. Stunting, measured by the number of children who are short for their age, still affects 18 percent of children under five years old. On the other hand, wasting, which is measured by the number of children whose weight is too low for their height, affects five percent of the under-fives. The prevalence of underweight children is 11 percent and micronutrient deficiencies remain prevalent among children and women.

The fact that close to one out of five children in Kenya is stunted should be a cause for grave concern, not only for its short-term effects, but also for its long-term irreversible consequences. Stunting impairs physical growth as well as cognitive and mental development. The very real physical manifestations of chronic undernutrition are also accompanied by potential limitations on a stunted child’s intelligence quotient. All these with massive consequences for the child’s future and our collective future as a nation.

The causes of malnutrition in Kenya are numerous. They range from poverty, food insecurity, limited food diversity, education gaps, poor sanitation, inadequate health and nutrition service, etcetera. It is truly a problem that straddles a range of sectors, and hence needs a collaborative approach by public and private sector actors. 

Only by fully understanding the challenges along the entire nutrition system can we leverage the resources and expertise of different actors. Multi-sectoral approaches to improving nutrition stand the best chance of success due to their inbuilt comprehensiveness, and are in the long-term more sustainable.

 Circling back to the results of the DHS 2022, the data highlighted disparities across the 47 counties. As counties develop and implement their development strategies, they are well advised to adequately resource for improved nutrition. 

Counties should go further and use a combination of indicators to measure the nutritional status of children by setting specific targets for reducing stunting and wasting, and for addressing the nutritional needs of specific vulnerable groups. These targets should aim to improve the nutrition and well-being of the county population, particularly of children, thereby contributing to a robust investment in the potential of the county population.

The current macro-economic climate in Kenya poses a challenge to the gains that have been made thus far. The effect of inflation on malnutrition is significant. As food prices increase, low income households will struggle to afford adequate amounts and variety of nutritious foods. 

More than ever, it is imperative to invest in nutrition and ensure that we are tracking progress. It is unacceptable that one out of five children in Kenya is undernourished. Investing in children’s nutrition should not be suspended until macro-economic indicators improve. It is an investment in the present and the future—a catalyst for human capital development, poverty eradication, and sustainable progress.

By nourishing our children, we unlock their immense potential, ensuring a generation that is healthier, smarter, and ready to shape a better Kenya.

This opinion editorial was first published on the Daily Nation on 5^th July 2023.