Undernutrition contributes to nearly half of all deaths in children under 5 and is widespread in Africa
Nearly half of all deaths in children under 5 are attributable to undernutrition. This translates into the unnecessary loss of about 3 million young lives a year. Undernutrition puts children at greater risk of dying from common infections, increases the frequency and severity of such infections, and contributes to delayed recovery. In addition, the interaction between undernutrition and infection can create a potentially lethal cycle of worsening illness and deteriorating nutritional status. Poor nutrition in the first 1,000 days of a child’s life can also lead to stunted growth, which is irreversible and associated with impaired cognitive ability and reduced school and work performance.
Measures of child undernutrition are used to track development progress. In terms of overall progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, Sub-Saharan Africa is far behind all other regions and the furthest from reaching a 50 per cent reduction in stunting prevalence since 1990. Meanwhile, the number of overweight children worldwide – another aspect of malnutrition – is rapidly rising.
Now, in the Post-2015 development era, estimates of child malnutrition will help determine whether the world is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals – particularly, Goal 2 to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture”.