Only 39 per cent of children under five are on a good path in terms of early childhood development

Maputo, 30 May (AIM) – Only 39 per cent of Mozambican children under five years of age are on a good path in terms of early childhood development, which means that 61% of children do not have good development, according to the Demographic and Health Survey (IDS) for 2022-2023.

According to Marla Amaro, head of the Nutrition Department at the Health Ministry, who was speaking on Thursday, in Maputo, during the presentation of the IDS, these figures are worrying and suggest the need to implement more measures aimed at promoting adequate breastfeeding.

The northern provinces of Nampula and Cabo Delgado and the central province of Zambézia have the highest rates, “influenced mainly by food insecurity, lack of health and hygiene services, as well as poor sanitation and inadequate mother and child care. So we, together with our cooperation partners, have to improve this scenario.”

She explained that the first years of a child’s life are the developmental basis for lifelong growth “but, unfortunately, most of them live in poverty, in low and middle-income families, and are more vulnerable to suffering from chronic malnutrition.”

“In addition, the first years of life are crucial for the construction and acquisition of socio-emotional, motor and cognitive skills and the development of language. It is well known that the brain develops a lot in the first years of life”, she said.

In order to meet the challenge, especially in vulnerable areas, Amaro said it was essential to mobilize resources, with a view to implementing multi-sector plans adapted to the reality of each community.

“We are in the process of planning and, clearly, reducing cases of chronic malnutrition involves several sectors, and multisector coordination work with communities is crucial,” she said.

For her part, the UNICEF representative, Maaike Arts, said that these figures reveal deep gaps, such as the disparities between urban and rural areas, between wealth quintiles and between girls and boys.

For this reason, she believes that multi-sector coordination is essential, “because every moment of affection counts, and that’s why we invest in the initial phase because it brings us the most returns, not only in terms of individual development, but also for the economic and social growth of a country.”
(AIM)
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