Nutrition

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of half of all deaths among children under five. It weakens the immune system and makes diseases worse. Even mild and moderate malnutrition can have severe consequences. Owing to gender biases, poor nutrition is also more prevalent in young girls and women. Poor maternal nutrition and health contribute to mothers bearing low birth weight babies, thus setting up a cycle of poor health from one generation to the next.

Micronutrient deficiencies, of vitamin A, iron and iodine, are widespread and have significant health effects. However, affordable and highly effective nutrition interventions are available to reduce malnutrition. Children under two years of age and pregnant and breastfeeding women are priority target groups.

While undernutrition remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, prevalence of obesity is also growing rapidly in all regions. This is due in large part to changes in diet and lifestyle, in particular the "nutrition transition" away from fruit, vegetables and whole grains towards greater consumption of fat, sugar and salt, accompanied by reduced levels of physical activity. Obesity is a risk factor for a number of chronic non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease - all of which are on the rise in developing countries.