Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries
Week 1 – Maternal and child undernutrition; causes and consequences
Learning goals: - Mention the major causes and consequences of malnutrition in a
developing context during vulnerable phases in the life cycle;
- Describe the double burden of malnutrition and related disease profiles.
0 - Introduction to Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries
35-45% of child deaths are attributable to poor nutrition. This undernutrition accounts
for 11% of the total global disease burden (so, 11% of all diseases in the world is due to
undernutrition), which are 800 million people worldwide.
Africa: 20%
Asia: 12.1% (but higher absolute total, because more people live here)
Latin America: 5.5%
There are 3 millennium development goals, which want to reduce (child) malnutrition.
- Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- Reduce child mortality
- Improve maternal and child health
In 2015 the new (sustainable) development goals are set. 1 of them targeting
malnutrition.
- Zero hunger (End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and
promote sustainable agriculture)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.1 - Maternal and child undernutrition: the UNICEF framework
1. Hunger and starvation are the world’s main nutrition problems
- No, it is not the MAIN problem (800 million). Obesity and deficiency of
micronutrients (2 billion) are also very important problems.
2. Malnutrition is not due to genetic differences
- Difficult statement, but normally it is NOT due to genetic differences. Maybe
there are genetic differences or diseases, which can cause malnutrition, but it is
a very small portion. For example, Asians are normally shorter, but they aren’t
also immediately stunted.
3. Inadequate food production is the main cause of malnutrition
- NOT true. There can be adequate food production, but you can still be
malnutritioned, because you don’t have access to nutrition. Also, there is a lot of
food waste, than the production doesn’t matter anymore.
4. Malnutrition is mainly due to protein deficiency
- It’s not the MAIN cause. In almost every population there is a sufficient intake
of protein. There can be a sufficient intake of total protein, but you also have to
look to the quality of the protein.
Week 1 – Maternal and child undernutrition; causes and consequences
Learning goals: - Mention the major causes and consequences of malnutrition in a
developing context during vulnerable phases in the life cycle;
- Describe the double burden of malnutrition and related disease profiles.
0 - Introduction to Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries
35-45% of child deaths are attributable to poor nutrition. This undernutrition accounts
for 11% of the total global disease burden (so, 11% of all diseases in the world is due to
undernutrition), which are 800 million people worldwide.
Africa: 20%
Asia: 12.1% (but higher absolute total, because more people live here)
Latin America: 5.5%
There are 3 millennium development goals, which want to reduce (child) malnutrition.
- Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
- Reduce child mortality
- Improve maternal and child health
In 2015 the new (sustainable) development goals are set. 1 of them targeting
malnutrition.
- Zero hunger (End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and
promote sustainable agriculture)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.1 - Maternal and child undernutrition: the UNICEF framework
1. Hunger and starvation are the world’s main nutrition problems
- No, it is not the MAIN problem (800 million). Obesity and deficiency of
micronutrients (2 billion) are also very important problems.
2. Malnutrition is not due to genetic differences
- Difficult statement, but normally it is NOT due to genetic differences. Maybe
there are genetic differences or diseases, which can cause malnutrition, but it is
a very small portion. For example, Asians are normally shorter, but they aren’t
also immediately stunted.
3. Inadequate food production is the main cause of malnutrition
- NOT true. There can be adequate food production, but you can still be
malnutritioned, because you don’t have access to nutrition. Also, there is a lot of
food waste, than the production doesn’t matter anymore.
4. Malnutrition is mainly due to protein deficiency
- It’s not the MAIN cause. In almost every population there is a sufficient intake
of protein. There can be a sufficient intake of total protein, but you also have to
look to the quality of the protein.
