Poverty Population: Challenge and Opportunities

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Introduction

Malnutrition is the biggest risk factor for illness worldwide

Some 2 billion people, mostly children and women, are lacking in one or more of these three major micronutrients: Iron Iodine Vitamin A

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Mapping Poverty & Undernutrition

Food insecurity was once viewed as a problem of overpopulation and not enough food production but now is viewed as problem of poverty

Food is available but not accessible to the poor who have neither land nor money

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Malnutrition that comes from living with food insecurity is one of the major factor influence life expectancy

Chronic poverty often face unsafe drinking water, infection with worms, not enough food, low protein diet, stunted growth, low birth-weight, shorten lifespan and death

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Malnutrition & health worldwide

30% of the world’s population experience some form of malnutrition

10.6 m children under 5 years old die each year from worms and infectious diseases associated with poverty

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Circle of Malnutrition At least 75% of all child death are caused by

disease associated with poor nutrition that caused by poverty

Source: UNICEF

More than 150 m children in developing countries suffer from malnutrition

Malnutrition may result from lack of food energy or from lack of food energy and protein

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is most widespread form of malnutrition in the world today Children who are thin for their height –

suffering from acute PEM Children who are short for their age –

suffering from chronic PEM

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Malnutrition and Health Worldwide – PEM

PEM includes the classifications of kwashiorkor and marasmus. Kwashiorkor is a protein deficiency

disease. Marasmus is a deficiency disease caused

by poor food intake.

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Micronutrient deficiencies

Vitamin A deficiency: World’s most common cause of preventable

child blindness and poor vision More than 100 m children are affected by

vitamin A deficiency (VAD). Of these, 500,000 children become partially or

totally blind as a result of not enough vitamin A in the diet

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Micronutrient deficiencies

Iron deficiency: Anemia Anemia is estimated to affect some 2 billion

people Iron deficiency in infant and early childhood

is associated with decreased abilities and resistance to disease

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Micronutrient deficiencies

Iodine deficiency: Cause high levels of goiter and child

retardation The major preventable cause of mental

retardation worldwide, is a risk factor for both physical and mental retardation in about 1 billion people.

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Effect of Malnutrition When nutrient need are high and food is limited,

the risk of Undernutrition increase Infant mortality rate range from 5 in developed

countries to over 166 in the poorest countries Infants can be the first to show the sign of

underweight due to their high nutrient need Dependent group

Maternal mortality rate range from 12 in industrial counties to 1,100 in Sub-Saharan Africa

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Poverty lead to hunger in many important ways. People who are poor are powerless to change their situation because they have little access to very important resources such as education, training, food and health services.

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Malnutrition and Health Worldwide

The Economic Burden of Malnutrition and Hunger The burden of hunger includes both direct...

maternal complications in pregnancy poor health of babies Malnutrition in children

...and indirect costs. lost output and income

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Nutrition and Development The United Nations views a healthful, nutritious

diet as a basic human right-one that the FAO and WHO are promised to secure

Achieving improved nutritional well-being worldwide requires broad action on many issues, including the following: Ensuring that poor and malnourished have enough

access to food Promoting healthful diet and lifestyles

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Preventing and controlling infectious diseases by providing clean water, basis sanitation, and effective health care

Protecting consumers through improved food quality and safety

Preventing micronutrient deficiencies Assessing, analyzing, and global monitoring of

the nutritional status of populations at risk Including nutrition objectives into

development policies and programs

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Agenda for Action

Focus on children Make the world fit for children Focus on women

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Focus on Children Children are the group most strongly affected

by poverty, malnutrition, and food insecurity. GOBI is a child survival plan set forth by

UNICEF. GOBI - stands for growth charts, oral rehydration

therapy, breast milk and immunization. GOBI has made outstanding progress in cutting

the number of hunger-related child deaths.

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Focus on Children Immunizations

Although current immunizations could prevent most of the 2 million deaths each year, enough protein nutrition is necessary for vaccinations.

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Making the World Fit for Children

UNICEF’s goals for nutrition and food security include the following: A 50% reduction in the 1990 levels of moderate

to severe malnutrition among children under 5. A 50% reduction in the 1990 levels of low birth-

weight infants. The elimination of blindness and other

consequences of vitamin A deficiency.

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

Focus on Women Women are at risk more than men to food

insecurity and under-nutrition for a number of reasons. Women have increased nutrient needs during

their childbearing years. Women are responsible for the physical labor

required to get food for their families. Women may feed their husbands, children, and

other family members first. Social beliefs may also limit women’s food intakes.

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

International Nutrition Programs

In developing countries, emphasis has been placed on four types of nutrition interventions: Breastfeeding promotion programs. Nutrition education programs. Food fortification and/or the distribution of

nutrient supplements. Special feeding programs designed to provide at

risk groups with nutritious supplemental foods.

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

International Nutrition Programs

In many countries, there is increasing evidence of progress in improving agricultural, water, education, and health services, especially for children.

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Agenda for Action what we can do ????

Appear that only worldwide political decision for problem address

Personal action: can help the world through personal choices. We can find ways to reduce our consumption of the world’s resources by using only what we need

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

In US, billion of dollars are spent annually to lower calories consumption, while more than 850 million people in the rest of the world can not often find an enough number of calories to consume

Thus, choosing a diet at the level of need, rather than excess, would reduce the resources needs made by our industrial agriculture

Dr. Dina Qahwaji

What we can do to improve our community??

Focus on children through growth monitoring, screening and nutrition education

Promoting of breastfeeding Immunization Nutritional Program focusing on infant,

children, and women nutrition Food distribution of nutrients supplements

Dr. Dina Qahwaji