HOW DO POOR NATIONS COPE WITH FOOD SECURITY AND

MALNUTRITION?
Introduction

Food security is defined as the availability of food in a country and the ability of
individuals within that country to access, afford, and source adequate foodstuffs.
According to The World Bank the definition of food security is when all people, at
all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food
that meets their needs.

Malnutrition is defined by insufficient or excessive nutrient intake, an unbalanced

intake of important nutrients, or poor nutrient use. Under-nutrition, overweight,
and obesity are both part of the double malnutrition burden as are non-
communicable diseases connected to diet.

If you think to yourself if poor nations don’t have enough food to supply
themselves with, how do they cope with malnutrition?

Causes

Poor nations don’t easily cope with malnutrition because they do not have access
to all the foodstuffs that can satisfy their needs. Most of the times malnutrition is
caused by poverty. According to Inter-Agency Regional Analysts Network,
nationally, chronic malnutrition or stunting affects 34.7% of children under the
age of five. Severe stunting affected 11.5% of children nationwide. In six regions
(Dodoma, Ruvuma, Rukwa, Kigoma, Katavi and Geita), chronic malnutrition
exceeds 40%. In three regions, more than half children are chronically
malnourished – Iringa (51.3%), Njombe (51.5%), and Kagera (51.9%). Overall,
more than 2.7 million children under five in Tanzania are stunted, which affects
their future learning, productivity, and their opportunities to escape poverty.

Consequences

Food insecurity majorly impacts human health and in certain cases, it can be
lethal. According to the latest WHO data published in 2020 malnutrition deaths in
Tanzania reached 5,574 or 1.89% of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is
12.23 per 100,000 of population ranks Tanzania #22 in the world.

Another consequence of malnutrition may be stunted growth. According to

USAID, the consequences of malnutrition should be a significant concern for
policymakers in Tanzania, where 32 percent of children under five years are
stunted.

National Perspectives

Global Perspectives

Key solutions

Conclusion

Reflection

References