The Crisis of Childhood Malnutrition in Africa
In many African countries, over 1/3 of the population is undernourished and prevalence of AIDs exceeds 15%. Nearly 20 million children in Sub-Saharan Africa will have lost one or both parents to AIDs by 2010, creating a huge population of vulnerable orphans without access to basic humane services such as food, education, protection and health care.
The critical period for human growth and development begins during pregnancy and lasts until about age 5. When it does not kill, chronic malnutrition is responsible for hundreds of thousands of serious birth defects each year. It impairs mental development, stunts physical growth, and prevents development of healthy immune systems which renders children susceptible to infectious diseases, malaria, HIV and tuberculosis. When these children grow up, they have diminished capacity to work and contribute to their communities.
The prevalence of malnutrition in developing African countries is caused by both food scarcity and the prevalence of carbohydrate dense staple diets such as refined maize. These staples contain little protein, very little fat and insufficient micronutrients. As a result, these diets often lack critical nutrients necessary to promote healthy growth and development.
The
attached presentation provides additional information on malnutrition in Africa, and an overview of our approach to address the crisis of malnutrition.
