In Abidjan, the Ivorian economic capital, fourty-three percent of women are either obese or overweight.
This is according to Garnier Denis, the Director of the Nutrition Department at the Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Cote d’Ivoire.
“(…) unfortunately for Cote d’Ivoire, another form of malnutrition known as over-nutrition is emerging, causing overweight or obesity, which affects many adults. About fourty-three percent of women in Abidjan are either obese or overweight. And this is a risk factor for high blood pressure (HBP) or certain forms of cancer and diabetes.”
Garnier made this statement on the sidelines of a regional workshop on nutrition organised by the international NGO ‘Action contre la faim’ (ACF) for civil society organisations as part of the activities of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN), a global multi-actor initiative against malnutrition.
Speaking of the malnutrition of children in the country, Garnier said that stunting was “widespread” because it is around twenty percent and affects several hundred thousand children in Cote d’Ivoire.
“Stunting plays a role in children’s development and their ability to have a job and earn a living as an adult,” he said. Garnier concluded by hailing the political will of the Ivorian government to fight malnutrition with the use of “all necessary tools” against this scourge.
The African continent is the world’s most exposed region to malnutrition. To date, one in three children are stunted.
– APA
