The dichotomy between rich and poor is evident in India’s nutrition landscape. With a burgeoning middleclass, the number of overweight children is rapidly rising among all age groups: 11 per cent of adolescents, and 20 per cent of all adults. After the United States and China, India has the third most overweight and obese people, and malnutrition is still pervasive. A total of 56 per 1,000 children die before their fifth birthday, and 47.9 per cent of children under the age of five are stunted. Half of pregnant women are anaemic as are 74 per cent of children under five. Only 46 per cent of babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six months. Malnutrition is said to cost the Indian economy approximately $200 billion.
These are just some of the facts highlighted in the new Malnutrition Mapping Project, an online compilation of data that include an online map for country-specific information and insights on the global challenge of malnutrition. Developed by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) with support from Amway, this new tool reveals the global burden of malnutrition in all its forms. It includes data from more than 30 countries representing low, middle and high incomes and provides an easy path to country-by-country statistics and insights on nutritional challenges.
“This double burden of malnutrition is a serious global challenge and one that we can’t meet unless we have strong data. We need to build a clearer picture of where people are and what their nutritional status is in order to effectively target interventions,” said GAIN director and senior technical advisor Dominic Schofield. “The goal of this project is to raise awareness of malnutrition in all its forms so that political, health and business leaders can discus, develop and ultimately implement solutions.”
The project highlights the global challenge represented by the double burden of under-nutrition and overweight and obesity. Although there are decreasing rates of under-nutrition in some populations, it remains high in many low and middle-income countries, threatening the survival and healthy development of children. In India, for example, under-nutrition is the leading risk factor for death in children under five.
At the same time, many of these countries are experiencing high rates of overweight and obesity. In Guatemala, the stunting rate for children - a result of under-nutrition - is 48 per cent while 55 per cent of women and 41 per cent of men are either overweight or obese. “The Malnutrition Mapping Project shows that in many parts of the world, there are basic needs going unmet,” said Amway chairman Steve Van Andel. “Amway has the expertise to help meet those needs through its Nutrilite little Bits product, a micronutrient supplement that helps children get the nutrients they need.”
Nutrilite little Bits is a one-gram micronutrient sachet containing 15 vitamins and minerals for children ages six months to fove years. It’s designed to be mixed with food once a day and provides the vitamins and nutrients needed for children to reach their potential. This new mapping project is part of Amway’s commitments to the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network, which brings members of the private sector together to explore their role in solutions to malnutrition. The new digital map can be found by visiting http://mamap.io/map.