14 DAY TRIAL // World Bank states in a report issued recently that poor countries should focus their efforts on combating malnutrition on pregnant women and children younger than 2 years, citing a medical consensus according to which malnutrition causes damage to physical growth and brain development during this period.
Shocking figures are mentioned, especially from India, where nearly half of the children there are undernourished, thing which reduces their life expectancy by 10 years and makes them more prone to contracting the HIV virus.
Malnutrition is spread where there is a numerous population; countries such as India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan have 51% of their children suffering from malnutrition, double the 26% found in sub-Saharan Africa.
According to the report, "intervention must focus on this window of opportunity [combating malnutrition from a young age]." "If we miss this window, we have missed the opportunity to address an entire generation of children," said Meera Shekar, the report's lead author and a senior bank nutrition specialist. The report wants to trigger an alarm signal for governments to move this issue to the top of their agenda.
Contrary to common belief, malnutrition is not solely a result of having little food. Many of the children who had plenty to eat are still suffering from malnutrition because of bad infant feeding or defective access to health system. Malnutrition is mainly caused by pregnant women who eat little calories or proteins or who do not treat their infection, mothers who give up breast feeding in a few weeks' time, disregarding the fact that it strengthens the child's immune system and that breast milk must be the main source of nutrients.
The report says that countries must dedicate more money to fighting malnutrition and must seek innovative ways to tackle the problem.