45% of Under-Five Deaths Globally Linked to Malnutrition – Nutrition International

From Paul Orude, Bauchi

Malnutrition contributes to nearly 45 percent of deaths among children under five globally, while about 40 percent of Nigerian children in the same age group are stunted, the Country Director of Nutrition International, Dr. Osita Okonkwo, has revealed.

Okonkwo made the disclosure on Thursday during a courtesy visit to the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, following the conclusion of the Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) Implementation Research Project in the state on March 5, 2026.

He said the situation reflects chronic undernutrition during the critical early years of life, adding that more than half of pregnant women are estimated to be anaemic, largely due to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals.

“Your Excellency, maternal and child survival remains one of the most critical development priorities for Nigeria and indeed for Bauchi State,” he stated.

“Nigeria accounts for one of the highest burdens of maternal and child deaths globally.
“Current national estimates indicate that about 512 women die for every 100,000 live births, while the under-five mortality rate stands at approximately 110 deaths per 1,000 live births. This means that far too many mothers and children are still dying from preventable causes. Nutrition plays a major role in this challenge.

“These nutritional deficiencies increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, low birth weight, preterm delivery, and poor child survival outcomes.”

He explained that against this background, Nutrition International, with funding support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, partnered with the Bauchi State Government, the State Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the State Primary Health Care Development Agency to conduct the MMS Implementation Research Project over the past three years.

According to him, the purpose of the project was to generate practical evidence on how best to introduce and scale up multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) for pregnant women through routine antenatal care services.

“I am pleased to report that the project has produced encouraging results.

“First, the project supported the development of practical tools and programme training manuals, counselling guides for pregnant women, monitoring tools, and logistics management tools that will support programme scale-up across the state.

“These tools and materials have now been adopted at the national level by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for use in scaling up MMS across the country.”

He added that through the training of health workers and improved counselling during antenatal care visits, the project recorded increased uptake and adherence to MMS among pregnant women in the participating local government areas.

“This demonstrates that when health workers are well equipped and communities are well informed, women are more likely to utilize and adhere to essential maternal nutrition interventions.”

Okonkwo further stated that the research also showed improvements in pregnancy and birth outcomes, reinforcing global evidence that multiple micronutrient supplementation provides greater benefits compared to standard iron and folic acid supplementation alone.

“MMS helps reduce the risk of low birth weight, preterm births, and babies born small for gestational age, which are major contributors to newborn mortality,” he said.

“While we celebrate the completion of this important research, we recognize that the greatest value lies in translating these lessons into statewide implementation.

“Nutrition International therefore remains committed to supporting the Bauchi State platform. Our support will focus on strengthening the capacity of health workers, improving counselling and service delivery at health facilities, and strengthening the state supply chain system to ensure uninterrupted availability of MMS and other essential nutrition commodities.”

Responding, Governor Bala Mohammed described the visit as a demonstration of the productive partnership between Bauchi State and Nutrition International in their shared commitment to improving the nutritional health of the people, particularly women and children.

“Over the past three years, your team has interfaced with critical stakeholders in Bauchi State, including the Primary Health Care Board, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the House of Assembly, relevant agencies, community leaders, traditional leaders, and other key institutions,” he said.

“This demonstrates a humanitarian approach to strengthening nutrition outcomes in our state and shows serious commitment.

“Let me therefore commend Nutrition International for its long-standing global reputation and its partners committed to improving nutrition and saving lives in many countries.

“Your interventions have significantly contributed to our government’s efforts to address malnutrition, maternal health challenges, and child morbidity and mortality”

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The governor noted that his administration understands that nutrition is a foundation for human capital development and economic prosperity, and is therefore committed to addressing the menace of stunting.

“This understanding informs our administration’s commitment to investing heavily in the health sector, where we have advised that all development partners agree to meet the Abuja Declaration on Health Financing by reaching the 15 percent budgetary threshold in our annual budget and ensuring that more than 15 percent is released and implemented,” he said.