By Modou S. Joof
The Gambia is
losing 3.96 billion dalasi ($83 million) a year due to the effects of child undernutrition, according to a new study released in Banjul on Tuesday.
The figures are “alarming,” the country’s Vice President, Dr. Isatou Touray, said. The loss to the Gambian economy represent 5.1 percent of the country’s annual gross domestic product, according to the multi-agency Cost of Hunger in Africa, COHA, report.
The study shows that the losses are incurred each year through increased healthcare costs, additional burdens to the education system and reduced workforce productivity.
“It is alarming that we are losing 5.1 percent of our national GDP annually because of the consequences of child undernutrition on school performance, health and productivity,” Dr. Touray said during the launch of the study.
The Gambia has made some progress in improving nutrition, according to the joint study by the government, World Food Programme, the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the European Union.
“Malnutrition rates are in decline and the country is on target to meet the government’s national development programme’s nutrition target of reducing stunting [low growth for age] to 12.5 percent, wasting [low weight for height] to 5 percent, and underweight to 8.5 percent by 2021,” the report stated.
The WFP country director in Banjul said it was necessary to invest in nutrition.
“Nutrition is the bedrock to a better, healthier and wealt
hier life, and investment in this sector is a necessary step towards sustainable development,” Wanja Kaaria said.
The COHA findings demonstrate that The Gambia will save up to 4.95 billion Dalasi ($104 million) by 2030 if the prevalence of stunting among children is reduced to 9.6 percent, and if underweight is reduced to 6 percent.
COHA studies have so far been conducted in 26 countries in Africa. The overall results reveal that the countries’ economies have suffered an estimated loss to GDP of between 1.9 percent and 16.5 percent per year due to child undernutrition.
