Publication: Poverty and Nutrition in Bolivia
Loading...
Published
2002-12
ISSN
Date
2013-08-20
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Malnutrition is crippling Bolivia, and the country must now face the political, and bureaucratic failure in addressing malnutrition. This study defines the nature, and extent of the malnutrition problem in the country, identifies the underlying reasons for the failed response, and outlines actions for both immediate, and more long-term results. The study further estimates that less than ten percent of government, and non-government expenditures, with an explicit nutrition, or food security component, is devoted to effective programs serving the neediest - poor pregnant women, and malnourished children under two. Public and private expenditures on nutrition are often misdirected, for although Bolivia did achieve successes in the advancement of nutrition over the past twenty years, the problem of malnutrition still requires action on several fronts. Primarily, nutrition needs a national strategy, and functional leadership, able to provide the population with accurate, and practical nutritional knowledge, prioritizing effective interventions for the most vulnerable. The study suggests improvements in program design, by targeting assistance, and exploiting the opportunities to improve nutrition through water and sanitation, rural development, roads, and education projects, which can have a profound effect on nutrition. Recommendations include the development of nutrition education focused on high-priority population, towards creating a private commission to demand continuity of Government attention to nutrition, as well as community participation in nutrition programming.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2002. Poverty and Nutrition in Bolivia. World Bank Country Study;. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/15203 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Poverty and Nutrition in Bolivia(Washington, DC, 2002-08-20)Malnutrition is crippling Bolivia, and the country must now face the political, and bureaucratic failure in addressing malnutrition. This study defines the nature, and extent of the malnutrition problem in the country, identifies the underlying reasons for the failed response, and outlines actions for both immediate, and more long-term results. The study further estimates that less than ten percent of government, and non-government expenditures, with an explicit nutrition, or food security component, is devoted to effective programs serving the neediest - poor pregnant women, and malnourished children under two. Public and private expenditures on nutrition are often misdirected, for although Bolivia did achieve successes in the advancement of nutrition over the past twenty years, the problem of malnutrition still requires action on several fronts. Primarily, nutrition needs a national strategy, and functional leadership, able to provide the population with accurate, and practical nutritional knowledge, prioritizing effective interventions for the most vulnerable. The study suggests improvements in program design, by targeting assistance, and exploiting the opportunities to improve nutrition through water and sanitation, rural development, roads, and education projects, which can have a profound effect on nutrition. Recommendations include the development of nutrition education focused on high-priority population, towards creating a private commission to demand continuity of Government attention to nutrition, as well as community participation in nutrition programming.Publication Malnutrition in Afghanistan : Scale, Scope, Causes, and Potential Response(World Bank, 2011)This book has the potential to contribute to a reversing of this trend, whereby activities in not only the health sector but also in other sectors relevant to nutrition will gain increased support and prominence in national development planning. South Asia has by far the largest number of malnourished women and children, and no other region of the world has higher rates of malnutrition. Malnutrition in childhood is the biggest contributor to child mortality; a third of child deaths have malnutrition as an underlying cause. For the surviving children, malnutrition has lifelong implications because it severely reduces a child's ability to learn and to grow to his or her full potential. Malnutrition thus leads to less productive adults and weaker national economic performance. Therefore, the impact of malnutrition on a society's productivity and well being and a nation's long-term development is hard to underestimate. For the South Asia region of the World Bank, malnutrition is a key development priority, and in the coming years, the Bank intends to enhance dramatically its response to this challenge. As a first step, a series of country assessments such as this one are being carried out. These assessments will be used to reinforce the dialogue with governments and other development partners to scale up an evidence-based response against malnutrition. To succeed, we will need to address the problem comprehensively, which will require engaging several sectors. This assessment of malnutrition in Afghanistan lays out the scale, scope, and causes of the problem. The assessment also indicates key elements of a potential response.Publication United Republic of Tanzania : Advancing Nutrition for Long-Term Equitable Growth(Washington, DC, 2007-12)This report explores the importance of nutrition for Tanzania. It demonstrates that the prevalence of malnutrition is very high. In fact, Tanzania appears to be affected by a double burden of malnutrition, with a very high incidence of undernourished children, but with a high prevalence of overweight and obese adults as well, particularly in urban areas. The report highlights the high (economic and welfare) costs associated to such high rates of malnutrition by discussing the consequence of malnutrition for infant mortality, education outcomes, the health system and labor productivity. For nutrition to be successfully advanced high level support is needed. Efforts to advance nutrition in Tanzania have made before, with the earliest attempts dating back to the late 1970s. Most have not been very successful. To enhance the likelihood of success this time, commitment from all stakeholders is needed. A social contract that is announced at a public event by a high level policy maker may be one way to commit the actors to change. Such a social contract would have to set clear objectives and a timeline, it would have to define roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders and provide an accountability framework. The high incidence of malnutrition thus presents an opportunity to enhance school performance, reduce maternal and infant and child mortality and to improve the ability of the labor force to be productive.Publication Action Plan for the Provision of Vitamins and Minerals to the Tanzanian Population through the Enrichment of Staple Foods(Washington, DC, 2012-01)The United Republic of Tanzania has a severe vitamin and mineral deficiency problem. Every year deficiencies in iron, vitamin A and folic acid cost the country over US$ 518 million, around 2.65 % of the country's GDP. Beyond the economic losses, vitamin and mineral deficiencies are a significant contributor to infant mortality, with over 27,000 infant and 1,600 maternal deaths annually attributable to this cause.2 In fact, if all of these deaths could be avoided, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in Tanzania could be reduced to 41.5 per 1,000 population, which would virtually ensure achievement of the MDG goal for IMR (40/1,000). To reduce this huge annual loss, an integrated national vitamin and mineral deficiency control programme is needed which is embedded in the national nutrition policy. Food fortification or enrichment should be an integral but not the only part of such a programme.Publication How to Protect and Promote the Nutrition of Mothers and Children in Latin America and the Caribbean(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2012-12-10)The study covered a wide range of topics, making data collection especially challenging. Key informants were sometimes new to their posts and were unable to provide details on specific programs, policies, or coverage rates. Few countries in Latin America and the Caribbean mainstream into their crisis and emergency plans protection of the nutritional status of mothers and children in the first 1,000 days of life. All countries should reinforce the promotion and protection of breastfeeding in emergencies, notably by providing an enabling space for mothers to safely breastfeed their children and by managing the provision of artificial milk formula. It is concerning that during emergencies most countries provide powdered artificial formula instead of ready-to-use artificial milk formula to infants that cannot breastfeed, greatly increasing the risks of illnesses and malnutrition as a result of inappropriate dilution and unsafe water. All countries need to reinforce their monitoring and evaluation systems, including surveillance of food and nutrition insecurity. While most countries have some form of monitoring system, few of those systems are computerized, which impairs timely and informed decision making. Systematic evaluations of emergency and crisis response are seldom performed. A number of countries would benefit from updating their nutrition policy and protocols based on the latest available evidence. Of particular importance are updates to the prevention and treatment of micronutrient deficiencies with micronutrient powders; treatment of acute malnutrition, notably with the use of ready-to-use supplements; and efficient treatment of diarrhea through the use of oral rehydration solution and zinc. Most countries will benefit from adapting the food and water rations given in emergencies to the specific nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women and children <2 years of age.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2022(Washington, DC, 2022-11)The economy continues to contract, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Public finances improved in 2021, but only because spending collapsed faster than revenue generation. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound continues to depreciate sharply. The sharp deterioration in the currency continues to drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most. An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and much needed reforms; this includes prior actions as part of the April 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-level agreement (SLA). Divergent views among key stakeholders on how to distribute the financial losses remains the main bottleneck for reaching an agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda. Lebanon needs to urgently adopt a domestic, equitable, and comprehensive solution that is predicated on: (i) addressing upfront the balance sheet impairments, (ii) restoring liquidity, and (iii) adhering to sound global practices of bail-in solutions based on a hierarchy of creditors (starting with banks’ shareholders) that protects small depositors.Publication Morocco Economic Update, Winter 2025(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-04-03)Despite the drought causing a modest deceleration of overall GDP growth to 3.2 percent, the Moroccan economy has exhibited some encouraging trends in 2024. Non-agricultural growth has accelerated to an estimated 3.8 percent, driven by a revitalized industrial sector and a rebound in gross capital formation. Inflation has dropped below 1 percent, allowing Bank al-Maghrib to begin easing its monetary policy. While rural labor markets remain depressed, the economy has added close to 162,000 jobs in urban areas. Morocco’s external position remains strong overall, with a moderate current account deficit largely financed by growing foreign direct investment inflows, underpinned by solid investor confidence indicators. Despite significant spending pressures, the debt-to-GDP ratio is slowly declining.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.