• Food programmes

Food programmes

Malnutrition is a still an extremely serious development issue, with around a third of the developing world’s population - particularly the inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia- suffering from micronutrient deficiencies and below optimal weight. This comprehensive report finds that unless policies and priorities are changed, the scale of malnutrition will prevent many countries from achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The report finds that a new dimension to the malnutrition problem, the condition of obesity and poor-diet related disease, is beginning to impact on some developing countries. As a consequence, these countries are now beginning to suffer from the double burden of both malnutrition and obesity. This is called the “nutrition transition”. Aside from the recognition that the MDGs will not be reached unless malnutrition is tackled, this report reveals that:

• malnutrition is linked to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, making adults more susceptible to the virus, and inadequate infant feeding aggravates its transmission from mother to child. Malnutrition may also make antiretroviral drugs less effective.
• there is now unequivocal evidence that there are workable solutions to the malnutrition problem and that they are excellent economic investments
• the returns of investing in micronutrient programs are second only to the returns of fighting HIV/AIDS among a lengthy list of ways to meet the world’s development challenges
• the focus must be on preventing and treating malnutrition among pregnant women and children aged zero to two years
• school feeding programmes do not attack the malnutrition problem at its roots.

The report argues that there are both long and short routes to improving nutrition but that more attention therefore needs to be given to shorter routes to better nutrition. It recommends that:

• health and nutrition education and micronutrient fortification and supplementation be provided
• more attention needs to be directed to gender issues such as pregnant women’s care of themselves and their children
• conditional cash transfers are a good way to get poor people to use nutrition services.

This report is intended to provide a framework to help countries decide what nutrition actions are appropriate under different circumstances, and is intended to help development partners prioritise countries for support. It stresses the need for sound policy analysis, and developing the appropriate capacity and institutional arrangements to manage nutrition programmes. Strengthening commitment to tackling malnutrition and forging new partnerships are critical to making progress towards better nutrition.

[adapted from author]

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