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UNICEF contributes to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria with a mandate to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF’s Nigeria country programme: Aims to accelerate the realization of the rights of all c...
Job Number: 533822
Work Type: Consultancy
Contract Duration: 2 months
Background
Micronutrients are vital vitamins and minerals required by human beings to stimulate cellular growth and metabolism. Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) greatly contributes to poor growth and development, reduced cognitive function, impaired immune and endocrine functions, increased risk of morbidity and mortality. There are nineteen micronutrients considered essential for optimal physiological functions; five of these micronutrients (Vitamin A, Iron, folate, Iodine, Zinc) are of public health importance. Specifically, Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, it also causes impaired immune function, cell differentiation, measles and diarrhoeal diseases among children. Iron deficiency causes microcytic anaemia, impaired immune and endocrine functions. Folate deficiency in pregnant women causes neural tube defect and macrocytic anaemia. Iodine deficiency disorder causes goitre, mental retardation. Zinc deficiency causes increased incidence of diarrhoea and acute respiratory infection; both are among the leading cause of death in children under five years.
The burden of micronutrient malnutrition and deficiencies in key micronutrients such as iron, vitamin A, iodine, and zinc, is estimated to affect 2 billion people worldwide. Pregnant women, adolescents and young children who are undergoing rapid growth and development are the most vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies and, consequently, suffer the greatest adverse effects. The Lancet Series on Maternal and Child Nutrition (Black, et al., 2013) estimated that 90 million children less than 5 years (33%) and 15% of all pregnant women suffer from subclinical VAD (based on a threshold of serum retinol < 0.70 μmol/L), the consequences of which lead to lowered immunity and increased risk of mortality in children (Ruel-Bergeron, et al., 2015).
Micronutrient deficiency (MND) remains a major public health concern globally, which is most common in many developing countries; especially in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. MND is caused by one or more of the following factors: inadequate food intake, poor dietary diversity, poor bioavailability and presence of disease or infections. At least, 340 million children under 5 suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Most common forms of are Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) and Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD). Micronutrients deficiencies is responsible for an estimated 7.3% of the global burden of disease, with Iron and Vitamin A deficiencies ranking among the 15 leading causes of global burden of disease burden.
In Nigeria, the prevalence of anaemia among children under 5 is 68%. About 49% of non-pregnant WRA, and 58% of pregnant women are estimated to be anaemic and 31% are iodine deficient. Prevalence of anaemia in children 6‒59 months of age is 71% (The global prevalence of anaemia in 2011, WHO).
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