A steep rise in malnutrition among children as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women in Lesotho poses grave threats to their health, says a nutritionist in the prime minister’s office, ‘Mapaballo Putsoa.
Putsoa shared the sobering facts during a one-day workshop for Principal Chiefs in Thaba-Bosiu on Friday last week, drawing attention to the silence enemy that stalks children in Lesotho. The workshop was organised by the Food and Nutrition Coordinating Office (FNCO).
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), Lesotho struggles with chronic malnutrition, particularly among children aged two to three years, where stunting (impaired growth due to malnutrition) rates at 34.5 percent.
The organisation says micronutrient deficiencies (mainly iron and vitamin A) also remain a challenge, affecting more than half of children under five. Almost half of children between six and 59 months suffer from iron deficiency anaemia, it adds.
In another shocking revelation, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report states that in the period of July to September 2023, around 245,000 Basotho in the rural (16 percent of the analysed population) faced high levels of acute food insecurity.
The report further cautioned that urgent action was needed to reduce food gaps, protect, and restore livelihoods as well as prevent acute malnutrition.
It is against this backdrop that the report offers guidance on potential pathways out of the food insecurity crisis.
The report emphasises the urgent need for action to bridge the food gap, safeguard and rehabilitate livelihoods, and mitigate the risk of acute malnutrition.
It also gives a glimmer of hope amidst the despair, noting an overall improvement in wheat production despite the devastation caused by waterlogging from torrential rains in December 2022.
“Food availability is a minor limiting factor as food will be available either through its own production or markets which are also functional and stable.
“Among other shocks in the current period were high food prices, inflation, and reduced casual labor opportunities due to heavy rains which hindered 2023 weeding activities,” reads the report.
To counter these challenges, principal chiefs from across the country have formed a partnership with the Food and Nutrition Coordinating Office (FNCO) to ensure sustainable food supply in villages.
Speaking at the workshop, Putsoa said the debilitating condition of malnutrition often begins in the womb, when a mother’s poor nutrition stunts the growth and development of her unborn child.
She noted that once born, a child may continue to suffer from malnutrition if their diet lacks necessary nutrients for proper growth and development.
Putsoa explained that malnutrition in Lesotho takes various forms; from macronutrient deficiencies to micronutrient deficiencies, and even over-nutrition.
She describes macronutrient malnutrition, which includes undernourishment and stunting, as a lack of necessary nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins, whereas micronutrient malnutrition is a lack of essential vitamins and minerals.
Putsoa stresses that malnutrition has serious consequences beyond just undernutrition. She says malnutrition in young children can lead to a range of disabilities such as blindness, deafness, mental retardation and even an increased risk of death.
This is because malnutrition stunts physical and cognitive development, making children more susceptive to disease and impairing their immune systems.
“Malnutrition is not only affecting our children but also their mothers, who may experience complications during pregnancy or childbirth. These health issues can then lead to infant deaths and disabilities. It is a vicious cycle that we must break if we are to have any hope of improving the health of our population.
“The problem of malnutrition is not just about access to food, although that is a significant part of the equation. There are also behavioural, cultural and economic factors at play.
“It is imperative that we address the issue of malnutrition from a holistic perspective, factoring in all these elements,” she added.
Officially opening the workshop, the minister of law and justice, Richard Ramoeletsi, said he believes that as Lesotho’s culture becomes increasingly diluted by the influence of Westernisation and globalisation, traditional practices that were once central to a healthy and nutritious diet are being eroded.
“Our traditional practices such as the cultivation of a wide variety of locally-grown crops and the consumption of nutrient-rich meals are partly to be blamed for as they are being lost,” he lamented.
Ramoeletsi attributed much of the problem to the influx of processed foods and the decline of traditional food preparation and eating habits.
He argued that the loss of these traditional practices has led to a diet that is increasingly devoid of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are essential for healthy growth and development, especially in children.
“This cultural dilution is having a devastating impact on our children’s health. This is a crucial moment for our country, the government stands ready to support the efforts, together we can create a Lesotho where every household have access to nutritious food,” he noted.
Ramoeletsi is also turning to the traditional leadership structures in the country. He expects the principal chiefs to take the lead in educating their communities about the importance of good nutrition, not only to prevent stunting, but also to address other forms of malnutrition.
“The principal chiefs, as our traditional leaders and custodians of our culture, have an important role to play in the fight against malnutrition.
“They must lead by example and spearhead campaigns that promote healthy eating habits and a balanced diet in their communities. This is a matter of urgency, for we cannot afford to let our children suffer the debilitating effects of malnutrition any longer.”
In a country where approximately 80 percent of the rural population rely on subsistence agriculture and on less than 10 percent of arable land, droughts and extreme weather events have wreaked havoc on crops, making nutritious food difficult to obtain.
This, combined with limited access to health and education, has perpetuated a cycle of malnutrition that affects not only children but community.
The Principal Chief of Tsikoane, Chieftainess Pontšo Seoehla Mathealira, says for years the country has experienced unexplained deaths, children dropping out of school, oblivious of the exact cause.
She added since they have been made aware of the root of the problem, they pledge to work with the Food and Nutrition Coordinating Office to ensure that people have constant supply of food.
“For too long, our communities have suffered the devastating effects of malnutrition without truly understanding why our children were falling ill and dropping out of school.
“But now that the causes have been revealed, we are determined to work with the coordinating office to ensure that our people have a constant supply of food and that we can break the cycle of malnutrition in our communities.
“When a young child’s growth is stunned by malnutrition, it is a tragedy for that child, but also for the future of our country. We must act now to prevent this crisis from escalating further,” she said with her voice laden with concern.
