Life Cycle Interventions for Maternal and Child Nutrition Promotion in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review

Abstract

Adequate nutrition is linked with a long life span, better immunity, healthy pregnancies and deliveries, a low incidence of non-communicable diseases, a good health for mothers and babies. From conception up to maturity, a child’s development and overall quality of life are greatly influenced by the mother’s lifestyle and diet. However, debilitating conflicts face poor women in low-income nations as they strive to fulfil their socio-economic and biological roles at each stage in the life cycle, especially during the child-bearing period. Evidence-based observations have shown that one of the most effective strategies for decreasing disease burden is nutrition management. This review discusses how mother and child mortality remains high particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights health consequences of maternal micro-nutrients deficiencies, which hinder the attainment of health and nutrition-related sustainable development goals. Finally, this article describes the role lifestyle interventions can play to alleviate mother-child nutrition disorders with an example of a pharmacist as one of the potentially effective stakeholders in promoting and maintaining mother-child health, promoted in health pharmaco-economics, especially in sub-Saharan African countries. It is noteworthy that some health problems are related to the environment, requiring joint interventions among local, national and international partners, proving the necessity of multisectoral approach to mother-child health throughout the human life cycle.