KEY POINTS
- Masvingo province has the highest rate of child food poverty, with 58 percent of children affected.
- Nationally, only 10.4 percent of children received a minimally acceptable diet, below the 25 percent target.
- Midlands and Masvingo had the highest rates of children with coughs, at 41 percent.
Masvingo province has the highest rate of child food poverty, with 58 percent of children struggling to access proper food.
According to the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee’s (ZimLAC) 2024 Urban Nutrition Assessment Report on Child Food Poverty, 13,479 households were surveyed. At least 5,806 children under age 5, 3,457 children ages 5 to 9, and 20,728 adults were measured.
The report indicated that on infant and young child feeding, about 10.4 percent of children received adequate, age-appropriate diets, while only 23.6 percent of children consumed a minimally diverse diet.
“Nationally, only 10.4 percent of children achieved a minimum acceptable diet, an increase from 1.3 percent in 2023. However, this remains below the national target of 25 percent ,” the report stated.
“Seventy-six percent of children ages 6 to 23 months consumed a meal that did not meet minimum dietary diversity in the 24 hours prior to the survey. Attention needs to be given to the 43.7 percent of children who are in severe food poverty.
“Masvingo (58.2 percent) and Matabeleland North (55.8 percent) had the highest proportion of children ages 6 to 23 months in severe food poverty.”
Breastfeeding practices and challenges
The report also noted that nationally, 31 percent of children consumed other foods within the first three days after birth.
Masvingo (40 percent) and Mashonaland East (35 percent) reported the highest proportions of children who consumed other foods within this period.
The report emphasized that children under 6 months should be exclusively breastfed, as giving other foods interferes with proper breastfeeding.
“Children were mostly given plain water during their first six months of life (38 percent), followed by thin porridge (28 percent). Oil, infant formula, and gripe water were commonly given to children across the provinces,” the report stated.
“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 ages 6 to 23 months who were fed sweet beverages in the 24 hours prior to the survey was 52 percent.”
Nutrient intake and vitamin A deficiency
ZimLAC said vegetables, fruits, eggs, and meat provide essential nutrients for optimal growth and development during the critical first 1,000 days.
It found that 87 percent of children ages 6 to 23 months had consumed vegetables and fruits in the 24 hours prior to the survey.
“There was an improvement in the proportion of children who consumed eggs or meat, from 5 percent to 36 percent.
“Nationally, about one in two children ages 6 to 23 months in urban areas were consuming sweet beverages, with Matabeleland South (62 percent), Mashonaland Central (61 percent), and Harare (60 percent) recording the highest rates,” the report said.
According to a report by Newsday, it also indicated that 13 percent of children ages 6 to 23 months in urban areas were not consuming vegetables or fruits, with Matabeleland North (22 percent), Midlands (17 percent), Masvingo (16 percent), and Mashonaland West (15 percent) recording the highest percentages.
Only 36 percent of children ages 6 to 23 months in urban areas were consuming eggs or meat, with Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South recording the lowest rates at 21 percent and 26 percent, respectively.
“An estimated 12 percent of children ages 6 to 23 months in urban areas were consuming unhealthy foods, with Harare (16 percent) and Bulawayo (15 percent) recording the highest percentages,” the report added.
“Nationally, 57 percent of children ages 6 to 11 months and 34 percent of children ages 12 to 59 months received the required one or two doses of Vitamin A, respectively.
“Manicaland (86 percent) and Matabeleland North (81 percent) had the highest proportion of children ages 6 to 11 months who received the required dose of Vitamin A.”
The report expressed concern over low Vitamin A supplementation coverage for both age groups, noting that this was below the 90 percent target.
On child illness (ages 6 to 59 months), cough was the most frequently reported illness across all provinces.
Midlands and Masvingo (41 percent) had the highest proportion of children with a cough two weeks prior to the survey, while Masvingo (36 percent) had the highest rate of fever. Matabeleland South (12 percent) had the lowest rate of fever, and diarrhoea was highest in Midlands (23 percent).
Child illness and health outcomes
“Cough was the most common illness across most areas except Chitungwiza (St. Mary’s-Manyame). Harare South (62.1 percent), Zvishavane (61.5 percent), and Gutu (59.8 percent) had the highest proportion of children with a cough two weeks before the survey,” the report stated.
The report emphasized that infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices directly affect children’s health, development, and nutritional status.
Improving IYCF practices in children under age 2 is critical to improving nutrition, health, and development, the report said.
The proportion of children (ages 0 to 23 months) who were ever breastfed was 90 percent, with early initiation of breastfeeding at 74 percent.
The exclusive breastfeeding rate was 38 percent, below the World Health Assembly target of 50 percent. The bottle-feeding rate was 28.7 percent, while 51.7 percent of children continued breastfeeding at one year.
The report recommended exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, with continued breastfeeding for at least two years. It noted that 74 percent of children were breastfed within the first hour of birth.
“Bulawayo (57 percent) and Matabeleland North (60 percent) had the lowest rates of early breastfeeding initiation and need attention in this area,” the report stated.
It also found that 52 percent of children were breastfed beyond one year, with Mashonaland Central (42 percent) and Manicaland (44 percent) having the lowest rates. Matabeleland North (71 percent) and Mashonaland East (61 percent) had the highest rates.
