Essay Example on Undernourishment in Zambia: A Global Concern

Introduction

Undernourishment involves the consumption of a minimum amount of food or nutrients essential for sound growth and health (Mukuka & Mofu, 2016). Notably, the concern of malnutrition is a global concern to humanity, especially in developing countries, including Zambia.

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Justification for Selection (Zambia)

Zambia is the selected country under focus since the plague of undernourishment has been on an increasing trend. For instance, the 2013/14 Zambia reports on health surveys reveal that approximately 40% of children under the age of 5 years were stunned (Mukuka & Mofu, 2016). Stunning implies that the associated children are too short for their ages, delayed born growth, and less overall body weight. Therefore, there is a collaborative need to help Zambia overcome this concern hence the reason for selection.

The most recent global insecurity report released by various food and agricultural corporations has shown that Zambia has the highest cases of undernourishment in entire Africa. Moreover, the report further reveals that 48.4% of the total population in Zambia is undernourished and closely followed by Namibia ta 37.1% (Mukuka & Mofu, 2016). Food and agricultural corporation have estimated a drop in undernourishment across Africa, yet Zambia's decline percentage has been estimated to be constant. Therefore, Zambia should integrate effective political commitment since it is the only remedy for undernourishment mitigation.

The prerequisites for political commitments involve placing the issue of nutrition and food security on top of all political agendas. Besides, Zambia should incorporate, creation of a sound enabling environment for boosting nutrition and food security through multiple investments, stakeholder participation, and useful legal frameworks (Mukuka & Mofu, 2016). Responding to the global report, Zambia civil society responsible for nutrition alliance has expressed their concern by revealing that it is embarrassing to learn that Zambia is the most undernourished in the world. Hence the primary reason why Zambia has been a country of focus.

Ideally, Zambia faces the risk of prolonged portrayal in various global reports exposing it to its commitment to undernutrition. With the abundance of water, good soil, and climate, the issue of malnutrition should not hold. The case of undernourishment is a critical health concern, and the genesis has been linked with corruption, misappropriation, and misuse of public funds. Surely, for almost half the population of Zambia to be undernourished, it is not a mere conceptional reference but rather a stressful routine encounter and a disgraceful reality to the governance structure of the country.

The situation is purely a secular and permanent situation of the precarious life of the citizens of Zambia. For the leadership of the country, the economic growth situation that is on the cards has no sense at all since it has failed to eradicate the plague of undernourishment. However, the most painful fact is that, despite the initiative to eradicate undernutrition hunger has persisted in most parts of Zambia (Mukuka & Mofu, 2016). Therefore, a stable, permanent solution must be tabled to put a dent to this health concern. Children are the most victims of this circumstance. The children suffer from various growth restrictions, wasting, stunting, vitamin deficiencies. It had been tipped that undernutrition has been the major cause of children's death in Zambia. Undernourishment in Zambia is a complex situation to understand, let alone to accepting the fact that about 49% of the total population lack enough food to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Hence Zambia is indeed a country of discussion.

References

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/12149887/World-hunger-What-are-the-most-undernourished-countries.html

Mukuka, R. M., & Mofu, M. (2016). The status of hunger and malnutrition in Zambia: A review of methods and indicators. Indaba Agricultural Policy Research Institute (IAPRI).