Facts About International Hunger
Food insecurity exists in our food-rich U.S.A. Why should I also be concerned about hunger in other countries?
If we are going to make a better and safer world for our children, it is important to see the BIG picture. Our world is becoming increasingly more interconnected; hunger is an economic and political problem that cheats everyone. It costs us in lives, disabilities, in the stability level of countries, and also in productivity. Every day, 35,000 people die, directly or indirectly, from malnutrition. The FAO estimates that cutting the number of hungry people in half by 2015 would yield more than $120 billion, due to longer, healthier, and more productive lives.
As a dietetic professional, what can I do to decrease hunger and malnutrition in the world?
As an individual, it is very difficult to impact world hunger. By working collectively with other dietetic professionals, organizations, and countries, you can make a difference. Visit the web sites of hunger organizations to learn about their programs and to find a good fit for you. By joining the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition (HEN) dietetic practice group of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), you will be able to obtain quarterly newsletters, access the web site, participate in the electronic mailing list, and obtain invaluable support for your endeavors. Non-dietetic individuals also have the opportunity to obtain quarterly newsletters by becoming a Friend of HEN member.
It seems that a major way to impact world hunger is through sustainable legislation—farm bills, debt relief, etc. How can I become more politically involved?
ADA’s position paper on world hunger describes dietetic professionals as “uniquely qualified to develop relationships with elected officials and their staff members and to educate voters about the nutritional impact of policies and programs. There is an urgent need for nutrition professionals to become actively involved in seeing that the food assistance programs that support sustainable development are protected, improved, and expanded.”
http://www.eatright.org/Public/NutritionInformation/92_aworldhunger.cfm.
By joining HEN and other professional organizations such as the American Public Health Association, and hunger lobbying groups such as Bread for the World and RESULTS, you will be able to identify and educate yourself on current legislation. Learn about the U.S. commitment to the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000, along with 146 other countries-- goals aimed at improving the health and well-being of people living in developing countries by 2015. Write letters to elected officials and to editors of local newspapers to focus attention on hunger legislation.
Can you name some international legislation that has been approved by Congress in the past?
Right to Food Resolution in 1975, Child Survival fund in the 1980’s, Horn of African Recovery and Food Security Act in 1992, Africa: Seeds of Hope Act in 1998, Congress launches Millennium Challenge Account and approves a 33 % increase in poverty-focused international assistance in 2003.
Which countries have the greatest number of undernourished people?
- India 213.7
- China 135.3
- Bangladesh 44.1
- Congo, Dem. Rep. 38.3
- Pakistan 26.8
In descending order (millions, 1999-2001)—
Projections to the year 2010 suggest that there will be little change in the absolute number of chronically undernourished people in the world.
Which groups of people are more vulnerable to undernutrition?
- All people living in poverty—especially women and children
- People living with HIV/AIDs and other chronic illness
- Victims of conflict or natural disaster
- Migrant workers & their families
- Marginal populations in urban areas: school dropouts, unemployed people, homeless people, orphans, street children and people living alone on small fixed incomes or without support, people living in slums on city outskirts.
- People belonging to at-risk social groups: indigenous people, illiterate households
- Low-income households within vulnerable livelihood systems: landless peasants, contract laborers, fishers, agricultural laborers, forest dwellers.
- Dependent people living alone or in low-income homes: elderly, disabled and ill people
What are some of the major nutritional deficiencies resulting from insufficient food and poor nutrition?
Nutritional deficiencies in developing countries include protein, calories, iodine, vitamin A, iron and other micronutrients. HIV progresses fastest in people who are poorly nourished. Over 40 million people live with the virus around the world. Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is more common in infants and children, especially after weaning from the breast has occurred. PEM increases the risk of delayed growth, impaired psychological development, and the often fatal interaction of disease and malnutrition. Iodine deficiency is the largest cause of preventable brain damage and impaired psychomotor development in the developing world. Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness. It is estimated that 90% of the people living in the world with anemia are in developing countries. Anemia impairs psychomotor development, work capacity, learning capacity, and resistance to disease. The classical deficiency diseases such as beriberi, pellagra, and scurvy still occur among the world’s poorest people. In some developing countries, such as in Latin America and the Caribbean, obesity exists alongside undernutrition.
Are we making any progress in preventing these deficiencies?
Nutrition education efforts, including promotion of breastfeeding, have reduced the severity and prevalence of PEM. Fortification and supplementation programs are attempting to address iodine and vitamin A deficiencies, but have had less success with reducing iron deficiency. More than 2/3s of households in countries with Iodine deficiency disorders now use iodized salt. New strains of rice that are rich in beta-carotene may help to reduce Vitamin A deficiencies. The abundance of anemia-producing parasites from the poor sanitary conditions, inherited blood disorders such as sickle cell disease, and chronic bacterial or viral infections such as HIV, further complicates reducing iron-deficiency anemia. The ultimate, sustainable solution to hunger and malnutrition is dietary diversification. By reducing poverty through a variety of collaborative approaches, people will be able to afford to grow or purchase a variety of more nutritious foods.
Scholarship
Every year The Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group (HEN DPG) offers a scholarship to an RD or DTR who is working internationally in the food security or sustainable food systems arena. The scholarship provides a one-year paid membership to the American Dietetic Association and to the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. Application deadline is February 15th.