Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, has stated that enhancing agricultural productivity is essential for addressing the issue of malnutrition worldwide, with a specific focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. He believes that by increasing the efficiency and output of agricultural practices, significant progress can be made in alleviating hunger and improving nutrition in this region.
Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Addresses Nutrivision 2024 on Combating Malnutrition
On Tuesday, Bill Gates, Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke at Nutrivision 2024, a Pan-African Youth Dialogue on Nutrition held at Nile University in Abuja. He emphasized that increasing the availability of affordable food and utilizing improved seed varieties are crucial steps in the fight against malnutrition. Gates highlighted that malnutrition is a significant barrier to unlocking the full potential of individuals and communities across the region.
“If you are malnourished you are at much high risk, if you do get malaria or diarrhoea, you are double at risk of dying of those things. But even if you survive you are not going to do as well as you deserve to do in your education or any of your activities.
“We see this malnutrition stunting which means height for age and part of the way we are going to solve this is by improving agricultural productivity. Malnutrition, part of it, is having access to low cost foods, particularly milk.”
So, making food more available at low cost, using better seeds and understating that even understanding that with the climate change, we can come up with seeds that often contrive with less water or even in cases where you have too much water and be able to still be highly productive,” Gates said.
Gates Highlights Malnutrition Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa at Nutrivision 2024
Gates pointed out that many individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa suffer from undernutrition, and regrettably, the rates are not declining. He expressed concern that high inflation in Nigeria and other countries exacerbates the challenge of reducing malnutrition by limiting access to quality food. He remarked on the perplexing nature of the issue, noting that many malnourished children have sufficient food available to them. However, their diets often lack the necessary nutritional balance, preventing them from effectively absorbing the nutrients they need.
He further emphasized that since malnutrition begins at a very young age, one of the most effective strategies to combat it is by supporting mothers both before and during pregnancy. Gates noted that many of their initiatives are centered on providing assistance to mothers throughout their pregnancy to ensure better health outcomes for both mothers and their children.
“New Micro nutrient Supplements (MMS) have been added to the ones pregnant women get during prenatal visits. I just heard that three million bottles of MMS will be coming into the country to help reduce two million cases of maternal anaemia and save the lives of 70,000 babies. So, pretty soon mothers will get these vital vitamins,” Gates said.
Gates Expresses Enthusiasm for Increased Focus on Nutrition at Nutrivision 2024
He expressed his excitement about the Gates Foundation’s commitment to allocating more resources to nutrition. However, he acknowledged that addressing the issue is complex and not easily solved. Gates highlighted the importance of collaboration between the health and agricultural sectors to effectively tackle the challenges of malnutrition.
