This archive report was first published on 22 November 2019.
Published on November 22, 2019, a study has revealed that child undernutrition is costing Kenya's economy a staggering 373.9 billion shillings, which is equivalent to 6.9 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as at 2014.
The study, dubbed 'Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) – Kenya chapter,' highlights the negative impact of hunger on children under five years old, particularly in the sectors of health, education, and labor productivity.
According to the report, despite Kenya's progress in reducing stunting in children from 33 percent in 1994 to 26 percent in 2014, stunting rates remain high, affecting one in every four children under five years old.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, in a speech read by Cabinet Secretary for Health Sicily Kariuki, emphasized the need to scale up and diversify financing for good nutrition to address the challenges associated with malnutrition.
He called for a comprehensive mechanism to address child undernutrition and the strengthening of existing public-private partnerships in implementing policy recommendations from the study.
The President noted that the challenges associated with malnutrition have led to a focus on nutrition as part of the development effort in the world.
He stated, 'Recognizing that children are the greatest asset of our nation, my government is committed to ending child undernutrition.'
Kenya has reduced stunting in children from 33 percent in 1994 to 26 percent in 2014, and the President aims to reduce stunting rates to 14.5 percent by 2030.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Amb. Ukur Yatani, represented by Albert Mwenda, Director General, Budget, Fiscal and Economic Affairs, emphasized the need to eradicate hunger, particularly in Africa, where approximately 31 percent of the world's hungry people reside.
He noted that the number of people who were hungry globally stood at 821.6 million in 2018, implying that one person in nine suffers from hunger.
