Bringing awareness to stunting on the West Rand
Did you know: The West Rand, in particular, has seen that two in 10 children, which is 18% under the age of five suffer from stunting in the region?
Recently, the West Rand Health District and NPO Grow Great held an Imbizo at Usambara in Muldersdrift to educate parents on the West Rand about stunting and how it impacts them.
According to the CEO of Grow Great, Dr Edzani Mphaphuli, stunting is a condition in children that arises from prolonged under-nutrition that affects a child’s physical and brain development, robbing them of reaching their full potential.
He said the impacts of stunting in a child can negatively impact them. Children who are stunted are less likely to finish school. The condition reduces the country’s economic and growth productivity and stunted children are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases in adulthood.
Dr Mphaphuli also added that good nutrition is vital for mothers if they are to ensure that their children are free from stunting.
“The first 1 000 days of a child’s life are vital for their development. It’s an opportunity to lay the foundation for a child’s academic success, health, and general well-being. Mothers and babies need good nutrition, high-quality healthcare, and access to clean, healthy environments so they can grow. Our organisation was founded in 2018 because saw the need to bring awareness to this condition. We are open to providing help to women from all walks of life, whether it is women from low-income areas or urban areas, we aim to serve any vulnerable woman.”
During the presentation, Grow Great revealed that in their annual survey, 27% of children under the age of five are diagnosed with stunting in South Africa.
The West Rand, in particular, has seen that two in 10 children, which is 18% under the age of five suffer from stunting in the region. Despite these numbers, it’s not all doom and gloom as there are plenty of measures to take to prevent the illness, among them being good nutrition.
The organisation encourages parents not to feed children solids until they are two years of age. Food that children eat from the ages of two to five years can be soya milk, fermented milk like Amasi, eggs, fortified maize, and rice. Grow Great also hopes to achieve zero stunting by 2030 with several other campaigns they have already embarked on.
With their initiative, Grow Great champions the organisation and has assisted 75 000 children under the age of two to receive routine growth monitoring. In addition, the organisation has been appealing to various health departments to introduce maternal support for women who cannot afford nutrition for their children.
To learn more about the organisation and find assistance go to www.growgreat.co.za.
