Every stage in the human lifecycle is critical; a child’s health and growth under 5 is still very important. However, we now talk more of the first 1000 days because this is a critical window of opportunity in which nutrition-specific interventions to improve maternal and child nutrition can lay a foundation to improve children’s prospects for survival, growth, and development. Under nutrition in these early years causes irreversible cognitive impairment, leading to poor school performance and loss of productivity. Unfortunately many Zambian children are suffering from chronic under nutrition, hence the need to advocate for good nutrition, particularly in the first 1000 days of life (period from conception until the child’s second birthday)
