Guyana records “medium” severe child food poverty

Last Updated on Sunday, 9 June 2024, 21:30 by Writer

Twenty percent of children in Guyana are living in severe food poverty because they are being fed 0 to 2 food groups per day, according to a just released global report on the subject by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The report titled “Child Food Poverty: Addressing nutrition deprivation in early childhood 2024” explains that the prevalence of severe child food poverty in each country is classified as ‘high’, greater than or equal to 30 percent ‘medium’, 10 to less than 30 percent or ‘low’, less than 10 percent.

The UNICEF report, which was released at the weekend, also said that 40 percent of children in Guyana are experiencing “moderate child food poverty because they are fed three to four food groups per day.

The eight food groups listed in the report are breastmilk; grains, roots, tubers and and plantains; pulses, nuts and seeds; dairy products; flesh foods (meat, poultry and fish); eggs, vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables.

The report says severe child food poverty is experienced by children belonging to poor and non-poor households, indicating that household income is not the only driver of child food poverty; children living in severe child food poverty are missing out on many nutrient-rich
foods, while unhealthy foods are becoming entrenched in their diets.

UNICEF says among children living in severe child food poverty, four out of five are fed only breastmilk and/or dairy products and/or a starchy staple, such as rice, maize or wheat. Less than 10 percent are fed fruits and vegetables and less than 5 percent are fed eggs, or meat, poultry and fish.

Meanwhile, UNICEF says, unhealthy foods and beverages are consumed by an alarming proportion of children living in severe child food poverty, displacing more nutritious foods from their diets.

The UN agency’s report says severe child food poverty is driving child undernutrition: the percentage of children living in severe child food poverty is three times higher in countries with a high prevalence of stunting. Severe child food poverty is associated with child
undernutrition.

The other sister Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states that featured in this aspect in the document are Suriname with 23 percent severe food poverty and Haiti with 32 percent and other fruits and vegetables.

In terms of the wider Caribbean, Dominican Republic recorded 8 percent severe food poverty, Cuba 9, percent and the British dependency of the Turks and Caicos Islands recorded 22 percent of severe food poverty.