Onitsha — The President of Kiddie Care Mothers (KCM), a Community based organization (KCB), Mrs. Ada I. Obi has attributed high rate of malnutrition in children Under -5 to poverty, ignorance and government apathy to the plight of Children in the country.

Speaking to newsmen Monday in Onitsha, Anambra state, Mrs. Obi, who is a nurse by profession, said that the reason for "high under-five mobility and mortality due malnutrition is because people who should know and act, shy away and are not courageous enough to address the monster squarely".

She said that her organization, KCM was geared towards "Child-health-care and working with mothers to effect reduction in "childhood mobility and mortality."

Mrs. Obi stressed that sound nutrition could change children's lives, "improve their physical and mental development, perfect their heath and lay a firm foundation for future productivity."

She said that over 200 million children in developing countries under the age of five are malnourished, while mal-nutrition contributes to more than half of nearly 12 million under-five deaths in developing countries each year.

Mrs. Obi said that her zeal for malnutrition children took her to Sharframa village in Augui Local Government Area of Kebi State in September and October 2009.

" I saw the ravaging effect of malnutrition. It is shocking that a thing like that is happening in this our great country. Nigeria, " he said.

Obi who said that she had studied, researched and practicalised on ways of curbing malnutrition among children, urge the UNICEF, WHO, USAID, Federal, State Governments, other international and cooperate organizations to sponsor her in her pet project to save malnourished children.

Stressing that the reduction of high under - five mortality in Nigerian is possible, Mrs. Obi quoted former United Nation secretary general, Mr. Kofi Annan, who said " to some aspect of the future, we do not need projections by super computers. Much of the next millennium can be seen by how we care for our children today. Tomorrow's world may be influenced by science and technology, but more than anything, it is taking shape in the bodies and minds of our children ".