The World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concern about the potential impact of Covid-19 on food security, which will exacerbate the already significant burden of malnutrition in Africa.

WHO Africa regional director Dr Matshidiso Moeti says Covid-19 is unfolding in Africa against a backdrop of worrying levels of hunger and undernourishment, which could worsen as the virus threatens livelihoods and household economies.

“Hunger and malnutrition heighten vulnerability to diseases, the consequences of which could be far reaching if not properly addressed.”

The WHO is recommending that its member States provide assistance to food insecure households, ensure that medical supplies and treatment capacities are reserved for handling patients with acute malnutrition and that screening and referral mechanisms for acute malnutrition are in place.

In Africa, it is estimated that one in five people is undernourished, and that 30% of children under five – about 59-million children – experience stunted growth, compared with the global average of 21.9%.

While there has been little research so far into malnutrition as a co-morbidity for Covid-19, people with weakened immune systems as a result of undernourishment are at greater risk of a range of serious illnesses and so are likely to be more severely affected by the virus.

“Recent estimates of food insecurity have suggested that as many as 73-million people in Africa were acutely food insecure. Covid-19 is exacerbating food shortages, as food imports, transportation and agricultural production have all been hampered by a combination of lockdowns, travel restrictions and physical distancing measures,” Moeti states.

The burden of movement restrictions and lockdowns is being felt particularly strongly by low-income households and those working in the informal economy owing to their loss of livelihoods and inability to access markets.

Moeti notes that Covid-19 does not treat us equally, and whether or not we have a healthy, nutritionally balanced diet is a key factor in how our bodies respond to the virus, said Moeti.

The WHO has developed guidance on how to maintain a healthy diet during confinement, emphasising the importance of wholegrains and cereals, lentils, peas and beans.

It is also issuing guidance on measures that countries should have in place as lockdowns end.