Nutritional problem in developing countries

Developing countries account for 98 percent of the world’s undernourished people and have a prevalence of undernourishment of 16 percent (Figure 2) – down from 18 percent in 2009 but still well above the target set by the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1.

The whole burden in developing countries account through maternal under nutrition and childhood under nutrition. Maternal problems are low body mass index, intrauterine retardation and different micronutrient deficiencies of iron ,zinc, iodine, riboflavin etc. childhood problems are stunting , wasting, underweight, and deficiencies of vita, iron, zinc, calcium, protein etc. Under nutrition magnifies the effect of every disease, and children are the most visible victims of nutritional deficiencies. Poor nutrition contributes to 35% of the 9.2 million child deaths each year globally. Asia, Africa, and Latin America are major contributors to the burden of disease attributable to maternal and child under nutrition, as only 1% of deaths in children younger than 5 years occurs outside these regions.

The estimated proportions of deaths in which under nutrition is an underlying cause are roughly similar for diarrhea (61%), malaria (57%), pneumonia (52%), and measles (45%).Micronutrient deficiencies are now recognized as important contributors to the global burden of disease, especially in developing world.

source ; FAO

In developing countries, poor prenatal conditions are responsible for approximately 23% of all deaths among children younger than five years old (Fig. 1.2).  These deaths are concentrated in the neonatal period (i.e.  The first 28 days after birth), and most are attributable to low birth weight (LBW).  LBW can be a consequence of intrauterine retardation(IUGR), preterm birth, or both, but in developing countries most LBW births are due to IUGR (defined as below the tenth percentile of the Williams sex-specific weight-for-gestational age reference data).  Although the etiology of IUGR is complex, a major determinant of IUGR in developing countries is maternal under nutrition.  Evidence has shown that there is a greater incidence of IUGR births among women who are under weight or stunted prior to conception, or who fail to gain sufficient weight during pregnancy compared to women with normal weight and weight gain.