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Unit 4 Macro: Malnutrition and Economics Development
8th July 2012
Malnutrition has been called by economists at the World Bank as the “non-human face” of poverty. High rates of malnutrition can severely impair development and bring untold human misery. In 2006, around 40% of Indian children under the age of five were undernourished. Progress in reducing this has been painfully slow. See this video from BBC news (Aug 2012) on India's enduring problem with malnutrition.
Malnutrition
• Impairs brain development among the young
• Is responsible for nearly half of all child deaths
• Increases the risks of HIV infection and cuts the numbers of children and mothers who survive malaria
• Malnourished children are more likely to drop out of school and suffer reductions in their lifetime incomes
According to the World Bank, “the effects of this early damage on health, brain development, educability, and productivity caused by malnutrition are largely irreversible.” The surge in global food prices has had a terrible effect on the risk of malnutrition in many of the world’s poorest countries. It has certainly led to a sharp rise in premature deaths and severe illnesses linked to poor nutrition in countries such as India.
Malnutrition in India
The Root of Hunger
Policies to reduce malnutrition
1. Schemes to promote health and nutrition education plus direct provision of micro-nutrient supplements and fortified foods
2. Growth monitoring schemes for the newly born and infants supplemented with vitamin provision from community organisations
3. Targeting cultural norms – in some countries, young girls are often allowed to eat only after their brothers
4. Cash transfers – i.e. direct consumer subsidies that can be spent on certain foods
5. Government subsidies for grain prices and export bans on domestically produced foods
6. Better food prices paid to small-scale farmers
7. Opening up retail markets to international supermarkets where food prices might come down through economies of scale and increased competition
8. Infrastructure spending to improve access to sanitation and clean water supplies
More resources
How Brazil is fighting malnutrition (BBC News video, June 2013)
Geoff Riley
Geoff Riley FRSA has been teaching Economics for over thirty years. He has over twenty years experience as Head of Economics at leading schools. He writes extensively and is a contributor and presenter on CPD conferences in the UK and overseas.