The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative to the South Pacific, Jonathan Veitch, has expressed concern over the impact of child food poverty on those under the age of five in Fiji.
Mr Veitch said most children in the country were not getting adequate nutrition to fuel their bodies and the situation was not improving.
“Fiji definitely has an issue with the triple burden of malnutrition,” Mr Veitch said.
“You have underweight; they are born a little bit underweight, but it’s quite low in Fiji.
“You have micronutrient deficiency; children are not getting enough nutrients in their diet, so it influences their growth and energy and their ability to learn in school.
“Then you have overweight and obesity.”
He further highlighted the alarming rate of non-communicable diseases in the country and how they could be eliminated.
“Everybody knows what is happening with diabetes in the country and so on.
“That is caused by poor dietary practices and a lack of physical activity when children are young.
“So, if we can get in there early and make sure children are given good diets and parents understand that it is critical to give them good food, we can reduce the burden later in life.”
Mr Veitch said children here tended to lack the proper nutrients since infancy.
“In Fiji, children are not getting the right nutrition; their mothers are not breast-feeding them. They are not able to provide the right healthcare, the right food, and nutrition.
“They don’t have access to clean water and sanitation, and they can be vulnerable to early death.”
He said they were collaborating with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to address the issue.
“We need to work very hard to avoid all under-five mortality or under-five deaths.
“So, we are doing that with the Ministry of Health, and we have to make sure that all children are vaccinated.”
