CHILDHOOD MALNUTRITION IN SOUTH ASIA

Denielle Saitta

“…the first essential component of social justice is adequate food for all mankind. Food is the moral right of all who are born into this world.” -- Norman Borlaug

Does anyon

e know what kills more than 600

million children each year?

CHILDHOOD MALNUTRITION IN SOUTH ASIA

Denielle Saitta

Why is this Relevant?

Most important risk

factor for illness and

death

Child’s growth and

development

Their future’s

• The history of malnutrition and define

what is malnutrition

• Look at how malnutrition disturbs

South Asia

• How the children of South Asia are

effected

• Efforts being done to help this region

Topic Previews

What is malnutrition?

Malnutrition

is a general

term that

indicates an

absence of

some or all

nutritional

elements

necessary

for human

health

Types of Malnutrition

• A lack of vitamins and minerals that are need in one’s body

• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies

• The absence of enough protein and food that provides energy

Micronutrient Malnutrition

Protein-Energy Malnutrition

History of Malnutrition

Poverty

Syndrome:

• Low income

levels

• Deficient diets

• Poor

environments

• Poor access to

healthcare

• Large family

size

World Malnutrition

Malnutrition has long been recognized as a consequence of poverty. It is widely accepted that higher rates of malnutrition will be found in areas with chronic widespread poverty

South Asia has one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world and nearly double the rate of Sub-Saharan Africa

Countries with 5-35% of population malnourished

South Asia Malnutrition

Poor people are most likely to suffer from hunger and malnutrition. In poor countries, natural disasters can contribute to malnutrition because they make it hard for people to get the food that they need

Malnutrition is a primary cause of disease and death in poor countries.

Household food insecurity, inadequate caring practices and inadequate access to basic health services, together with an unhealthy environment, are the underlying causes of inadequate dietary intake and disease, and consequently of malnutrition

More than 70 percent of the world's underweight live in just 10 countries, with more than 50 per cent located in South Asia alone

Malnourished Children

Child malnutrition is the single biggest

contributor to under-five mortality due to greater susceptibility to infections and slow recovery from illness.

South Asia Malnutrition

Malnourished children tend not to reach their potential, physically or mentally, and they do worse at school than they otherwise would.

Effect on Child Development

Childhood Development

• Malnutrition increases the risk of infection and infectious disease, weakened immune system

• Low amounts of energy, reduced amount of play and exploratory activities. Reduced amount of interaction with environment

• Impacts on education attainment

• Impaired function of the brain

• Dulled motivation and curiosity

Physical Mental

Through recent years, there has been some improvement in childhood nutrition. Experience from several countries suggests that we can improve nutrition in children under five at the community level with impact, speed, national scale and efficiency.

Strides Toward Improvement

• The World Bank

• Ready-to-use Therapeutic

Food (RUTF)

• Global Harvest Alliance

(GHA)

The World Bank

The World Bank’s mission

The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world.

Work alongside developing countries to help aid reforms

and boost effectiveness

Ready-to-use-Therapeutic Food

Are foods designed for specific, usually nutritional, therapeutic purposes as a form of dietary supplement

Young child eating Plumpy Nut, a RUTF food product.

RUTF’s require no preparation and have a long shelf life.

Global Harvest Alliance

Has been formed with the

vision of eradicating malnutrition

throughout the developing world, by

creating low-cost,

nutritionally complete foods

that prevent and treat all

forms of under-nutrition.

Goal is to improve therapeutic feeding protocols, RUTF, improve plant science for human health, and deliver technology to those who need it most

• Explained importance of childhood malnutrition

• Told you exactly what malnutrition is and some history

• Showed you both South Asia and the children there effected by

• Informed you about efforts made to help this problem

To Finish

THANK YOU & THE END

Any questions?

Article SourceShashidhar, Harohalli. “Malnutrition.” Medscape Reference. (2009 ): 5-7. 21 September 2011. <http://reference.medscape.com/>. Internet Sources2011 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics. 17 August 2011. Hunger Notes. 21 September 2011. <http://www.worldhunger.org/>.An End to World Hunger: Hope for the Future. 2000. Think Quest. 21 September 2011. <http://library.thinkquest.org/>.Creative Solutions For Child Malnutrition in South Asia. 15 March 2010. South Asia Investor Review. 21 September 2011. <http://southasiainvestor.blogspot.com/>.Global Effort to End Childhood Malnutrition. 2011. The Preventative Health Journal. 21 September 2011. <http://thephj.com/>.Malnutrition and Poverty. 22 April 2010. Asian Development Bank Institute. 21 September 2011. <http://www.adbi.org/>.Nutrition. 2011. World Food Programme. 21 September 2011. <http://www.wfp.org/>.South Asia: Data, Projects, and Research. 19 April 2010. The World Bank. 21 September 2011.

<http://www.worldbank.org/>.

Bibliography