Malnutrition is responsible for nearly half (45 per cent) of all deaths in children under five across the world, according to research.
Published as part of The Lancet’s series on maternal and child nutrition, the results show that malnutrition is now responsible for around 3.1 million deaths in children under five annually.
The authors analysed the different causes of maternal and childhood malnutrition, including poor breastfeeding practices and deficiencies of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, zinc, iron and calcium.
They also analysed the consequences of malnutrition, including stunting (low height for age), wasting (low weight for height) and being underweight (low weight for age) – all of which result in increased risk of death and illness for both pregnant women and children.
The global prevalence of stunting was found to have slowly decreased in the past 20 years, but rates are not falling quickly enough to meet global targets set just a year ago at the World Health Assembly. The authors estimate that stunting affected at least 165 million children worldwide in 2011.
In the same year, at least 50 million children were affected by wasting and 100 million children were underweight.
Over 90 per cent of these were in Asia or Africa, with Africa the only major world region where the number of children with stunting has increased in the last decade.
Lead author Robert Black, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, the US, said: “Nutrition has profound effects on health throughout the human life course and is inextricably linked with mental and social development, especially in early childhood.
“In settings with insufficient material and social resources, children are not able to achieve their full growth and developmental potential.
“While there have been some improvements in nutritional conditions in recent years, the extent of these conditions remains high with serious detrimental health consequences.
“The high number of child deaths related to both stunting and wasting is unacceptable, and at the same time, rising levels of obesity... will have vast implications for future healthcare expenditures and the overall development of nations.”
Anita Tiessen, spokeswoman from the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign, said: “We have made incredible progress in tackling child deaths around the world, but malnutrition remains the Achilles heel in our efforts to prevent millions of needless deaths each year.
“We must urgently prioritise tackling hunger if we are to continue the progress we have made.
Tomorrow, the UK and Brazilian governments will host a ‘nutrition for growth’ summit in London before the 39th G8 meetings on June 17-18 begin.
Decision-makers from developed and less developed regions of the world will join private foundations and the private sector to decide how to ensure children around the world get enough nutritious food to eat during the first years of their lives
Campaigners will be gathering in Hyde Park to urge G8 action on the causes of the hunger crisis. Bill Gates and Rowan Williams will be among the speakers.