Problems caused by lack of
key micronutrients such as iodine, as well as protein, affect nearly 2 billion
people, but children are particularly vulnerable. Whereas a child in Europe,
North America, or Japan can expect to receive more than 12 years of schooling,
the average child in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia can expect to spend
less than five years in school—before taking account of teacher absenteeism
and making no adjustment for the lack of schoolbooks and other resources
even when a teacher is present. The “voices of the poor” in Box 8.1 convey
some of the impact of deprivation in health and education on people’s lives.