Hardship Fuelling High Mortality Rate, Expert Warns

A professor of Nutrition and Food Science, Mrs Nkoyo Isong, has warned that unless there is a passionate commitment by governments and other concerned authorities towards addressing the current food challenges in the country, Nigeria risks losing children, women and men to death due to malnutrition.

To curb avoidable incidences of deaths under the prevailing hunger and poverty plaguing the nation, Prof. Isong, who lamented over high death rate amongst Nigerians since the advent of the ongoing economic reforms, stressed the need for a holistic action strategy to reduce food prices, noting that such intervention would enhance food affordability for good nutritional intake.

She expressed this concern while delivering the 108th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), the last in the series for 2024, held at the 1,000-capacity TetFund Auditorium, Nwaniba, Uyo, the institution’s main campus.

Mrs. Isong, who lamented that the current hardship has forced most Nigerians including infants and their breastfeeding mothers to eat what is available, instead of the right combination of balance diet, made a case for exploration and exploitation of marine and natural food resources and vegetables, noting that their effective combination  could enhance good health for mothers and infants.

Towards all – year – round food availability, the nutrition expert tasked governments to summon the political will to massively invest in agriculture.

She said: “Government should set aside funds to cultivate fish, foodstuff, bread, goats, poultry, cow, etc, and further process the cow and goat milk to help eradicate malnutrition among mothers, infants and adults for adequate nutrition and cheaper to purchase.”

In Akwa Ibom State, for instance, Prof. Isong, noted that the state had been blessed with rich land and foods, but regretted that the state ranks high amongst states with poor nutrition index.

“We should create a wealthy State with rich nutrients; remember that health is wealth, and it takes a healthy body to create wealth,” she stressed.

However, the Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, who presided over the session, lauded Isong’s efforts in her contribution to the body of knowledge in her chosen field, and formerly inducted her into the comity of Inaugural Lecturers of the institution.