A new UNICEF analysis has revealed a severe burden of undernutrition among infants under six months in Eastern and Southern Africa, with millions suffering from low birth weight, wasting, stunting, and underweight. The findings highlight an urgent need for policy reforms and strengthened healthcare services across the region.
The study, conducted by UNICEF’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), examined health and nutrition policies in five high-risk countries Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, and Malawi. It found that an estimated 5.5 million infants in this age group are undernourished, including 1.6 million stunted, 0.6 million wasted, and 0.8 million underweight. Additionally, 2.5 million babies 14.3% of the total are born with low birth weight, though data gaps suggest the actual numbers may be even higher.
Ethiopia recorded the highest prevalence of wasting at 9.4%, while Kenya reported the lowest at 3.5%. Stunting rates varied from 12% in Kenya to 25% in Burundi and Madagascar, and underweight prevalence ranged from 8% in Malawi to over 13% in Burundi and Madagascar.
Malnutrition in this age group is often overlooked in national health strategies, leaving infants vulnerable to illness, developmental delays, and long-term diseases. UNICEF’s report also found widespread malnutrition among women and adolescent girls in these countries, with up to 22.4% of women underweight in Ethiopia and nearly one-third suffering from anaemia.
Key contributors to infant malnutrition include household poverty, food insecurity, inadequate maternal nutrition, adolescent pregnancies, HIV, and birth complications. Despite existing policies, UNICEF identified critical gaps, such as:
•Lack of clear protocols for outpatient care.
•Weak healthcare linkages and multi-sectoral support.
•Limited guidance on feeding infants with disabilities.
•Insufficient focus on maternal mental health.
National governments cited inadequate resources, poor healthcare infrastructure, and supply shortages as major barriers to implementing nutrition guidelines.
The 2023 WHO guidelines introduced new recommendations for managing at-risk infants, including clearer inpatient vs. outpatient care criteria. UNICEF urged governments to integrate these updates into policy revisions while addressing systemic resource challenges.
By strengthening nutrition programs and healthcare services, UNICEF emphasized that millions of infants and mothers in the region could see life-changing improvements in health and development outcomes.
