South Asia has the largest number of malnourished children in the world.
Malnutrition rates in several South Asian countries are much higher than those in Africa.
Under-nutrition prevalence rates for India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan range between 38% to 51%. Prevalence rates in Sub-Saharan African countries are about 26%.
Economic Costs
Malnutrition undermines economic growth and economic costs are substantial. Individuals lose more than 10% of lifetime earnings because of malnutrition. A country can lose up to 3% of GDP per year.
What is Under-nutrition?
Undernutrition is more than just access to food.
Many children are underweight or stunted because of inappropriate infant feeding and care practices, poor access to health services or poor sanitation.
Under-nutrition's most damaging effect occurs during pregnancy and in the first two years of life. The effects of this early damage on health, brain development, intelligence and educability, and productivity are largely irreversible.
Why Under-nutrition persists?
Pregnant and nursing women eat too few calories and too little protein, have untreated infections, such as sexually transmitted diseases that lead to low birthweight, or do not get enough rest.
Mothers have too little time to take care of their young children or themselves during pregnancy.
Mothers of newborns discard their first breast milk known as ‘colostrum’ which strengthens the child’s immune system.
Mothers often feed children under the age of six months foods other than breast milk even though exclusive breastfeeding is the best source of nutrients and the best protection against many infectious and chronic diseases.
Nutrition programs have been low priority for both governments and development partners for three reasons:
There is little demand for nutrition services from communities because malnutrition is often invisible.
People are unawareness that moderate and mild malnutrition contributes to death, disease and low intelligence.
Malnourished families tend to be poor and not have much voice
More Information
Repositioning Nutrition, report (5mb pdf)
Ask the Author, Online discussion with Meera Shekar, author of the report
A Funding Call for Nutrition, story
Malnutrition Causes Heavy Economic Losses, Contributes to Half of All Child Deaths, But Can Be Prevented—New World Bank Report, press release
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