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| Malnutrition is the single most important risk factor for disease and takes two forms. The first is protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), which is the inadequate intake of protein and calories. This is the most lethal form of malnutrition/hunger. The other form is micronutrient malnutrition, a deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the diet. The most common micronutrient deficiencies related to hunger are iron, iodine, and Vitamin A deficiency. Without treatment, these deficiencies in children are irreversible and result in permanently diminished learning capacity, mental retardation, blindness, brain damage and sometimes death. |
| Malnutrition weakens children's bodies so that preventable diseases and infections, such as measles, diarrhea and malaria, are life threatening and often result in death. It is one of the prime causes of low-birth-weight which can lead to stunted growth and illness throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. Often children are too weak or sick to attend school or learn properly, and without an education the child's chance of getting out of poverty is next to nothing. Adults afflicted by malnutrition and related disorders are often unable to work and their productivity is diminished. It is a great loss of human potential. |
| Surprisingly, obesity is increasingly recognized as another form of malnutrition, not only in developing countries but in industrialized countries as well, and it can lead to high levels of sickness and disability, shortened life expectancies and lower levels of productivity. Women are particularly susceptible because when there is not enough food, women are often the ones to go without. |
| The spread of HIV/AIDS epidemic has quickly become a major obstacle in the fight against hunger and poverty in developing countries. Because the majority of those falling sick with AIDS are usually young adults who normally work in the fields, food production has dropped dramatically in countries with high rates of HIV/AIDS. |
| Providing adequate nutrition and healthcare are important components to ending the cycle of hunger and poverty. |
For more information about these issues, please follow the links below.
- WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
The World Health Organization (WHO) Nutrition program focuses its work on the prevention and reduction of malnutrition. The WHO Nutrition web pages contain related documents, resources and links.
www.who.int/nut/index.htm
- FAO - FOOD AND NUTRITION DIVISION
FAO Food and Nutrition Division provides information about nutrition requirements, nutrition assessments by country, and national policies and strategies.
www.fao.org/es/esn/index_en.stm
- UNICEF - MALNUTRITION
This site offers comprehensive resources on the impacts of malnutrition on children, including country specific statistics on weight, stunting and wasting.
www.childinfo.org/eddb/malnutrition/
- UNAIDS
UNAIDS, a joint United Nations program, is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on HIV/AID.
www.unaids.org/EN/default.asp
- AVERT
Avert is an international AIDS charity which offers information on HIV and AIDS, with an extensive section on AIDS in Africa.
www.avert.org/aidsinafrica.htm
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