Daily Trust (Nigeria) reported on COVID-19, nutrition, and pregnancy. Poor diet is a common experience of low-income households during the lockdown. IFPRI said poor households in low and middle-Income Countries, like Nigeria, would have dramatic income effects due to “widespread unemployment resulting from COVID-19 mitigation measures” (see blogpost, COVID-19 lockdowns are imposing substantial economic costs on countries in Africa by James Thurlow). Also reflecting both women’s current situation, the publication noted, “The poor will respond by purchasing the cheapest calories they can find to feed their families.” Findings from IFPRI’s study, Affordability of the EAT-Lancet reference diet: A global analysis by Senior Research Fellows Kalle Hirvonen and Derek Headey and Yan Bai and William A. Masters, revealed that “in poor countries calories from nutrient-rich, non-staple foods like eggs, fruits, and vegetables are often as much as 10 times more expensive than calories from rice, maize, wheat, or cassava.”
