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‘Wasting’- Guyana leads in child malnutrition condition- UN Report Reveals
Source: UNICEF, WHO & World Bank. 2023. Levels and trends in child malnutrition: UNICEF / WHO / World Bank Group Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates: key findings of the 2023 edition. New York, UNICEF and WHO. ttps://data.unicef.org/resources/jme-report-2023
Kaieteur News – The recently released United Nations (UN) report on Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition underscores the persistence of ‘wasting,’ a severe form of child malnutrition, with Guyana and Suriname at the forefront.
Wasting, characterized by a child’s weight falling dangerously below their height, poses a life-threatening risk due to rapid weight loss or failure to gain weight. The report emphasizes that timely intervention can mitigate this condition.
In 2022, Latin America and the Caribbean reported a wasting prevalence of 1.4%, notably lower than the global estimate of 6.8%. At a sub-regional level, the Caribbean had a slightly higher prevalence at 2.9%, followed by South America at 1.4%, and Mesoamerica at 1%. Despite these figures being below the global estimate, the report highlights variations among countries.
The report indicates positive progress toward the World Health Assembly (WHA 2025) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030) targets of maintaining wasting levels in children under 5 below 5% and 3%, respectively. However, Guyana and Suriname stand out with prevalence rates of 6.9% and 5.5%, respectively, signaling the urgent need for targeted interventions. Other countries, including Ecuador, Haiti, Jamaica, and Brazil, also exceed the recommended targets, emphasizing the critical importance of sustained efforts in combating child malnutrition.
The Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2023, is a collaborative effort by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), reveals that 6.5% of the Latin America and Caribbean population, totaling 43.2 million people, face hunger.
Despite a marginal improvement, hunger prevalence remains 0.9 percentage points higher than pre-COVID-19 levels in 2019. The situation varies across sub-regions, with South America witnessing a decrease in hunger, while Mesoamerica maintains stability and the Caribbean experiences a rise. The report underscores persistent challenges such as inequality, poverty, and climate change, hindering progress against hunger. FAO’s Mario Lubetkin emphasizes the need for collective action to address these pressing issues. WFP’s Lola Castro advocates placing people at the core of solutions amid the current climate emergency.
The report further discloses that, in 2022, 247.8 million individuals in the region faced moderate or severe food insecurity, a decrease from the previous year. In South America, 36.4% experienced such insecurity, Mesoamerica saw a slight increase to 34.5%, and the Caribbean reported 60.6% prevalence. Gender disparities persist, with women disproportionately affected. Rossana Polastri, IFAD’s Regional Director, stresses the urgency of prioritizing rural populations in programs and policies.
The region grapples with rising malnutrition complexities, encompassing under nutrition and the surge in overweight and obesity. The prevalence of overweight in children under 5 slightly increased during the pandemic, posing a significant health risk. PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa underscores the challenge of overweight and obesity, responsible for approximately 2.8 million deaths in 2021 in the Americas. The report calls for transformative measures in food systems to ensure healthy diets.
Child malnutrition, including stunting and wasting, remains a concern in certain countries, impacting undeserving, Afro-descendant, and rural populations. UNICEF’s Garry Conille advocates for comprehensive approaches to address both under nutrition and overweight in children.
Highlighting the economic aspect, the report notes that Latin America and the Caribbean face the highest costs for a healthy diet globally, with a 5.3% increase from 2020 to 2021. The average daily cost of a healthy diet in the region is US$4.08 per person, surpassing other regions. This surge is attributed to food inflation, global supply chain disruptions, and human resource shortages.
The challenges outlined necessitate immediate and collaborative actions to achieve sustainable improvements in the region’s food security and nutrition landscape.
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