Publication: Combating Malnutrition in Ethiopia : An Evidence-Based Approach for Sustained Results
Date
2012
ISSN
Published
2012
Author(s)
Rajkumar, Andrew Sunil
Gaukler, Christopher
Tilahun, Jessica
Abstract
Malnutrition can be transient like an
acute disease. More often, it is chronic, a lifelong,
intergenerational condition beginning early in life and
continuing into old age. Most under-nutrition starts during
pregnancy and the first two years of life. After a child
reaches 24 months of age, damage from early malnutrition is
irreversible. Various indicators are commonly used to
measure and monitor malnutrition, including rates of
stunting, wasting, and underweight among children under five
years of age (see the glossary for definitions and
explanations). Stunting is a measure of long-term, chronic
malnutrition. Wasting is a measure of more transient, acute,
but reversible malnutrition. These two measures are often
not highly correlated. Underweight is a composite index of
stunting and wasting; an underweight child can be stunted,
wasted, or both. The government of Ethiopia formulated and
approved the first National Nutrition Strategy in February
2008 to concentrate efforts on reducing malnutrition. The
National Nutrition Program was approved in December 2008 to
implement the strategy following a programmatic approach.
The Ministry of Health is the lead agency overseeing the
program and implementing its key aspects; other ministries
and sectors are also involved in the multisectoral effort to
reduce malnutrition.
Citation
“Rajkumar, Andrew Sunil; Gaukler, Christopher; Tilahun, Jessica. 2012. Combating Malnutrition in Ethiopia :
An Evidence-Based Approach for Sustained Results. Africa Human Development Series. © World Bank. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/1f10093b-43ef-5a15-9917-a4b644214c6c License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”