Prof Oladapo Otolorin
Angela Onwuzoo
Daily, as Nigeria’s food crisis worsens amid rising economic hardship, senior medical practitioners are concerned that the situation could drive many Nigerians into depression and increase the number of people living with hypertension.
They noted that persistent hunger is dangerous and does a lot of harm to the body, making it susceptible to diseases due to low immunity.
The maternal and mental health experts noted that hardship, hunger, and poverty are major social determinants of health and can significantly impact an individual’s mental and physical well-being.
The organised private sector recently blamed worsening insecurity in the country on food inflation, which rose to 40.87 per cent in June 2024, up from 25.25 per cent in June 2023.
Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday showed that the rise in food inflation in June 2024 represented a 15.62 per cent point increase year-on-year and a 2.55 per cent rise month-on-month.
The professors said that due to the prevailing harsh economy in the country, many households were finding it difficult to have three square meals.
They warned the Federal Government not to ignore the United Nations’ prediction that 82 million Nigerians, which is about 64 per cent of the country’s population, may go hungry by 2030.
Meanwhile, a global non-governmental organisation, the International Rescue Committee, recently added Nigeria as one of the spots for food insecurity action against hunger.
The United Nations World Food Programme also indicated that over 32 million Nigerians are expected to face a critical hunger crisis and emerging levels between June and August.
The physicians, therefore, urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently address the food insecurity across the nation.
The experts, who spoke exclusively to PUNCH Healthwise warned that hunger and malnutrition would trigger higher rates of non-communicable diseases and depression that would be difficult to manage amid the ailing health sector and shortage of health workers.
A retired Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the University of Ibadan, Oladipo Otolorin, said the food crisis in the country calls for serious attention, lamenting that Nigeria has a young population that is largely dependent on other people for survival.
The expert, who is the President of the Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association, noted that the food crisis would affect every age group in the country with children being the worst hit.
The maternal health explained, “Children will be the most affected because they are growing and they need a high protein diet to keep growing and if they don’t get it, they lose weight. They will become stunted and won’t reach their full potential.
“For the older population, they are also going to lose weight and would be psychologically affected. Many of them will go into depression and some will go and have anger manifestations.
“People may even commit suicide if they can’t help themselves. We should expect more psychiatric illnesses and this can translate into crime in society. Hypertension will be on the rise.”
The don further said many of these young people are dependent on their parents for food, transportation, clothing, and everything.
Continuing, he said young people are prone to crime when there is poverty and hunger in the land, while children are at higher risk of malnutrition and Kwashiorkor.
Otolorin warned, “If the food insecurity is not addressed, Nigeria will look like a war-torn area. Adults will also have malnutrition because when you don’t have the money to buy the kind of food required, you begin to see people take fewer meals; instead of three square meals, they start taking two or one meal per day.
“With that kind of nutrition, you begin to see weight loss, and the spirit of survival will drive some people into criminality.
“If people go around and they can’t find food to eat, they can start stealing and they can start all kinds of criminal activities such as burglary and kidnapping. So we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder. A hungry man is an angry man.”
The don urged the President to address worsening insecurity if Nigeria is to overcome its current food shortage and rising prices of commodities.
He also appealed to the government at all levels to put machinery in place to address food insecurity.
Speaking with our correspondent, the President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, Professor Taiwo Obindo, said people may have to watch their stress levels as they struggle to make ends meet, to avoid harming their health.
Taiwo Obindo
Obindo revealed that stress causes diabetes, hypertension, and stroke, warning that it impacts blood vessels and major organs of the body negatively.
He said, “The body responds to these challenges such that chemicals are released into the system. These chemicals over time, due to their chronic presence in the system could cause so many things.
“When we talk about the heart; it could cause hypertension and stroke. The blood vessels become constricted and eventually, they may be wounded and block blood flow to the heart and even the brain.
“Stroke has to do with things happening in the brain. It is either the blood vessels in the brain burst, or get blocked, thereby preventing the supply of nutrients to some parts of the brain, and this could affect every organ of the body. That will impact the outcome.”
On mental health, the professor said stress could lead to headaches, anxiety disorder, and depression.
He said, “When somebody faces challenges, the heartbeat increases, blood vessels constrict and depletes blood supply, and the heart overbeats.
“That is why high blood pressure may arise. That is why the blood supply to the kidneys may be affected and then could cause kidney failure because if the blood supply to the kidneys is cut off for a very short period, it can cause acute renal failure.
“So, all these things can happen to the heart, kidneys, and the brain. Particularly for the brain, if the stress continues, it could lead to anxiety disorder and depression.”
Obindo counselled Nigerians to have adequate sleep and eat well, affirming that both are important in stress management.
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