MASVINGO province has been rated the highest in child food poverty with 58% of children having challenges in accessing proper food.
According to the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee (ZimLAC) 2024 Urban Nutrition Assessment Report on Child Food Poverty, 13 479 households were interviewed and at least 5 806 children under 5; 3 457 children aged five to nine and 20 728 adults were measured.
The report indicated that on infant and young child feeding diet quality, about 10,4% of children received adequate diverse age-appropriate diets, adding that only 23,6% of children were consuming a minimum diversified diet.
“Nationally, only 10,4% of children achieved a minimum acceptable diet, an increase from 1,3% in 2023. However, this remains below the national target of 25%,” the report read.
“Seventy-six percent of children aged six to 23 months consumed a meal which did not meet minimum dietary diversity in the 24 hours prior to the survey. Attention needs to be given to the 43,7% of children who were in severe food poverty.
“Masvingo (58,2%) and Matabeleland North (55,8%) had the highest proportion of children aged six to 23 months who had severe food poverty.”
The report also said nationally, 31% of children consumed other foods within the first three days after birth.
It further indicated that Masvingo (40%) and Mashonaland East (35%) reported the highest proportions of children who consumed other foods within the first three days.
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It underscored that children below six months should not be given anything other than breast milk because it interferes with exclusive breastfeeding.
“Children were mainly being given plain water during their first six months of life (38%), followed by thin porridge (28%). Oil, infant formula and gripe water were commonly given to children across the provinces,” the report read.
“Feeding children sweet beverages and unhealthy foods such as corn snacks and sweets interferes with the consumption of diverse nutritious diets.
“The proportion of children aged six to 23 months who were fed sweet beverages in the 24 hours prior to the survey was 52%.”
ZimLAC said vegetable, fruit, eggs and flesh meat consumption provides the much-needed nutrients for optimum growth and development during this window of opportunity (first 1 000 days).
It said about 87% of the children aged six to 23 months consumed vegetables and fruits 24 hours prior to the survey.
“There was an improvement in the proportion of children who consumed eggs or flesh meat from 5% to 36%.
“Nationally, an estimated one in two children aged six to 23 months in urban areas were consuming sweet beverages, with Matabeleland South (62%), Mashonaland Central (61%) and Harare (60%) recording the highest,” the report said.
The report further indicated that an estimated 13% of children aged six to 23 months in urban areas were neither consuming vegetables nor fruits, with Matabeleland North (22%), Midlands (17%), Masvingo (16%) and Mashonaland West (15%) recording proportions above the national average.
It also indicated that nationally, only 36% of children aged six to 23 months in urban areas were consuming eggs or flesh meat, with Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South recording the least (21% and 26%, respectively).
“An estimated 12% of children aged six to 23 months in urban areas were consuming unhealthy foods, with Harare (16%) and Bulawayo (15%) recording the highest,” the report read.
“Nationally, 57% and 34% of children six to 11 months and 12-59 months received the required one and two doses of Vitamin A, respectively.
“Manicaland (86%) and Matabeleland North (81%) had the highest proportion of children aged six to 11 months who received the required dose of Vitamin A.
“Low Vitamin A supplementation coverage for both age groups is a cause for concern. This is below the 90% coverage target for the national intervention.”
On child illness (6 to 59 months), cough was the most reported illness for children across all the provinces.
The report said Midlands and Masvingo (41%) had the highest proportion of children with cough two weeks prior to the survey, while Masvingo (36%) had the highest proportion of children with fever, Matabeleland South (12%) had the lowest and diarrhoea was highest in Midlands (23%).
“Cough was the most common illness across most domains except Chitungwiza (St Mary’s-Manyame). Harare South (62,1%), Zvishavane (61,5%) and Gutu (59,8%) had the highest proportion of children who had a cough two weeks prior to the survey,” it said.
“Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices directly affect the health, development and nutritional status of children less than two years of age and ultimately, impact child survival. Improving IYCF practices in children 0 to 23 months of age is, therefore, critical to improved nutrition, health and development.”
The report said the proportion of children (0 to 23 months) who were ever breastfed was 90%.
“Early initiation of breastfeeding was 74%. The exclusive breastfeeding rate was 38%. This rate is less than the World Health Assembly target of 50%. The proportion of children being bottle fed was 28,7% while continued breastfeeding at one year was 51,7%,” the report read.
“The proportion of children who were ever breastfed was 90%. The recommendation is to have children exclusively breastfed for the first six months and continue breastfeeding for at least two years. About 74% of children were initiated to breastfeeding within the first hour of birth.
“Bulawayo (57%) and Matabeleland North (60%) had the least proportion of children who were initiated to breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and need some attention regarding this indicator.”
According to the report, the proportion of children who continued breastfeeding beyond one year was 52%, Mashonaland Central having (42%) and Manicaland (44%) had the least, while Matabeleland North had (71%) and Mashonaland East had (61%) the highest rates across the provinces.
