CHILDREN are at greater risk of dying from common infectious diseases related to malnutrition during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study has found.
The study – Impact of COVID-19 on Nutritional Status of People – Situation Analysis in Fiji was done by authors Venkata Reddy, Richard Nair, Jotika Naidu, Dilan Gohil, Masoud Mohammednezhad and Shiwanjiani Sami – stated malnutrition was “under and overnutrition”.
“Wasting, stunting, underweight, vitamin or mineral deficiencies are a result of under nutrition while the consequences of overnutrition include overweight, obesity, and diet-related NCDs,” the report read.
“The unprecedented global, social and economic crisis, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, poses grave risks to the nutritional status and survival of young children in low income and middle income countries.
“Nearly half of all deaths in children under five are attributable to undernutrition, which puts children at greater risk of dying from common infections which increases the frequency and severity of such infections and delays recovery.”
The authors collected information from Rakiraki District Hospital, the Fiji National University School of Public Health & Primary Care, the Colonial War Memorial Hospital and Nakasi High School for their study.
