Africa Knowledge Management Portal
Informing health decisions and actions
Description
Nutrition plays a crucial role in the socioeconomic development of any country. Malnutrition accounts for about 35 percent of deaths among children under 5 years old around the world. Stunting, severe wasting, and intrauterine growth retardation are the major contributors to child mortality, accounting for about 2 million deaths annually. Malnutrition is the major cause of morbidity for all age groups, accounting for 11 percent of the disease burden globally. In addition, iron deficiency is the leading cause of maternal mortality, accounting for 20 percent of the estimated 536,000 deaths worldwide