High rates of under-nutrition are undermining Africa’s growth by an estimated 11 per cent, according to a new Global Nutrition Report released by the International Food Policy Institute (IFPI).
While African GDP is expected to grow at 5.1% this year, rates of under-nutrition in Africa remain stubbornly high.
Only three out of 54 African countries are on course to meet the stunting target for children under-five.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 38% of children are stunted.
Just 13 countries in Africa are on course to meet the under-five wasting target set by the World Health Assembly (WHA) by 2025, according to the Global Nutrition Report, which was released in Rome on Wednesday, at an international nutrition conference, ICN2.
Inadequate nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life from conception leads to a greater risk of poverty, inequity, poor health and lower productivity.
Improving people’s nutrition status is central to sustainable development.
A well-nourished child can gain around one extra year of school attainment, earn up to 50% more in wages, be 10% more likely (if they are women) to own a business and are 33% more likely to escape poverty.
The Global Nutrition Report is an important milestone. It’s the first of an annual series of reports produced by an independent expert panel to assess progress on nutrition at a global and country level.
The report shows that in Africa, despite increasing economic growth and a steady improvement in underlying drivers of nutrition status – such as food supply, clean water and sanitation, education and healthcare – far too many people remain below the minimum calorie threshold.
While the report pulls together information on global nutrition, it also highlights critical gaps in data knowledge.
This is particularly true for many countries across Africa, where there is poor data on nutrition indicators and little transparency on domestic budgets.
“Because the costs of failing to act are tragically high for all countries, we must develop stronger accountability mechanisms with better data and more transparency, as well as stronger feedback systems to improve nutrition status,” said Lawrence Haddad, a senior research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and co-chair of the independent expert group that produced the report.. “This report is a critical first step in that direction”.
The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation is an independent philanthropic organisation, headquartered in London with offices in Nairobi and New Delhi. We work to transform the lives of poor and vulnerable children in developing countries.
Areas of work include children and mothers’ health and nutrition, children’s education and welfare, and smart ways to slowdown climate change.