Science and Medicine

Child health and nutrition in Africa

Child health and nutrition in Africa is concerned with the health care of children through adolescents in the various countries of Africa. The right to health and a nutritious and sufficient diet are internationally recognized human rights that are protected by international treaties. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 1, 4, 5 and 6 highlight, respectively, how poverty, hunger, child mortality, maternal health, the eradication of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases are of particular significance in the context of child health. Despite these commitments and ideals, however, the reality is that high mortality among young children, particularly in Africa, continues to be a cause for concern. Children born in developed countries such as Sweden have a less than 1 per cent risk of dying before the age of 1 year, whereas for children born in developing countries, the risk is closer to 10 per cent or higher. Within developing countries, there are significant disparities between rich and poor and urban and rural areas. These large differences are likely the result of initial and continuous colonial control across Africa. Malnutrition has had, and continues to have, a long and complicated history, most of which has stemmed from the initial imposition of colonial rule. With added European influence, African farmers were instructed about how and what to cultivate on the land. One method of farming that was implemented and promoted throughout much of the continent was monocropping, or utilizing cash crops. Cash crops are the production of crops for commercial use rather than for personal consumption. This practice often consists of mainstream crops that are grown year after year on the same plot of land, leading to a lack of diversity, soil erosion and soil depletion. By requiring that farmers switch to new crops and new farming methods, malnutrition rates skyrocketed.

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See also

• ▸Joseph Priestley
• ▸Kamchatka (ship)
• ▸Bayer

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