[afro-nets] One in four children in developing countries underweight

["Claudio Schuftan" <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

One in four children in developing countries underweight
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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article361426.ece

One in four children in developing countries underweight
By Joanne Clements, PA

More than a quarter of children in developing countries are 
underweight, a new report claimed today.

The study, by children's' rights campaign group UNICEF, reveals that 
the average number of underweight youngsters has dropped just five 
percentage points in the last 15 years.

UNICEF believes the figures prove the world is failing children.

The report, Progress for Children: A Report Card on Nutrition, shows 
27% of children in developing countries - around 146 million - are 
underweight, many to a life-threatening degree.

More than half these children live in just three countries ? 
Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

Unicef executive director Ann Veneman said: "The lack of progress to 
combat malnutrition is damaging children and nations.

"Few things have more impact than nutrition on a child's ability to 
survive, learn effectively and escape a life of poverty.

"For every visibly undernourished child, there are several more 
battling a hidden nutritional crisis.

"Many are seriously deficient in essential vitamins and minerals such 
as iodine, vitamin A and iron."

Poor nutrition remains a global epidemic contributing to more than half 
of all child deaths, about 5.6 million per year.

UNICEF says its report charts progress towards the first UN Millennium 
Development Goal - to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.

Achieving this goal means halving the proportion of children who are 
underweight for their age, the most visible sign of malnutrition.

The study shows only two world regions are on track to meet the MDG 
target - Latin America and the Caribbean, together with the East Asia 
and Pacific region.

UNICEF believes the rest of the world is still far off track.

The campaign group says the roots of malnutrition lie in poverty, lack 
of education and inequality, as well as unsafe feeding practices and 
repeated bouts of illness such as diarrhoea and malaria.

A UNICEF spokeswoman said poor nutrition contributed to the deaths of 
5.6 million children each year - the equivalent of 10 children a 
minute.

More than a quarter of children in developing countries are 
underweight, a new report claimed today.

The study, by children's' rights campaign group UNICEF, reveals that 
the average number of underweight youngsters has dropped just five 
percentage points in the last 15 years.

UNICEF believes the figures prove the world is failing children.

The report, Progress for Children: A Report Card on Nutrition, shows 
27% of children in developing countries - around 146 million - are 
underweight, many to a life-threatening degree.

More than half these children live in just three countries ? 
Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

UNICEF executive director Ann Veneman said: "The lack of progress to 
combat malnutrition is damaging children and nations.

"Few things have more impact than nutrition on a child's ability to 
survive, learn effectively and escape a life of poverty.

"For every visibly undernourished child, there are several more 
battling a hidden nutritional crisis.

"Many are seriously deficient in essential vitamins and minerals such 
as iodine, vitamin A and iron."

Poor nutrition remains a global epidemic contributing to more than half 
of all child deaths, about 5.6 million per year.

UNICEF says its report charts progress towards the first UN Millennium 
Development Goal - to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.

Achieving this goal means halving the proportion of children who are 
underweight for their age, the most visible sign of malnutrition.

The study shows only two world regions are on track to meet the MDG 
target - Latin America and the Caribbean, together with the East Asia 
and Pacific region.

UNICEF believes the rest of the world is still far off track.

The campaign group says the roots of malnutrition lie in poverty, lack 
of education and inequality, as well as unsafe feeding practices and 
repeated bouts of illness such as diarrhoea and malaria.

A UNICEF spokeswoman said poor nutrition contributed to the deaths of 
5.6 million children each year - the equivalent of 10 children a 
minute.

--
Claudio Schuftan 
mailto:claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn