UNICEF finds 200 million children suffer from under-nutrition

By Sheilah Downey

Almost 200 million children under five years of age in the developing world are undernourished, according to a UNICEF report released today, and suffer from stunted growth as a result.

The UNICEF report, "Tracking Progress on Child and Maternal Nutrition," states that more than one third of all deaths in children under five are attributable to under-nutrition.

The condition is often invisible until it is severe and even children who appear healthy may be at risk of serious damage to their health and development, said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman.

"Under-nutrition steals a child's strength and makes illnesses that the body might otherwise fight off far more dangerous," said Veneman in a UNICEF statement. "More than one-third of children who die from pneumonia, diarrhea and other illnesses could have survived had they not been undernourished."

Nutritional deficiencies during the critical period in a child's life, 1,000 days from conception to the child's second birthday, can cause not only undernutrition, but stunted growth and underweight children.

All of these can reduce the immune system's ability to fight disease and can also lead to a lifetime of poor health and underachievement. The answer to the problem, according to the report, is prevention.

While more than 90 percent of the stunted children in the developing world live in Asia and Africa, the prevalence of stunting has dropped substantially on both continents.

The report shows that 16 developing countries have successfully increased their exclusive breast feeding rates by 20 percent, a procedure that has the potential to reduce the under five mortality rate by 19 percent.

The percentage of children in the vulnerable populations who received essential doses of Vitamin A supplement has more than doubled, according to the report, from 41 percent in 2000 to 88 percent in 2008.

But the problem is far from solved, said Veneman, and a global effort on a variety of fronts is needed to fight the problem now.

"Global commitments on food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture are part of a wider agenda that will help address the critical issues raised in this report," said Veneman. "Unless attention is paid to addressing the causes of child and maternal undernutrition today, the costs will be considerably higher tomorrow."