Malnutrition In Women And Girls Costs $1.6 Trillion Annually: World Vision Urges Action For World Food Day

Malnutrition in women and girls costs the global economy more than $1.6 trillion annually in lost productivity, according to a disturbing new report from aid agency, World Vision.

• Two thirds of children under five are living in food poverty in low and middle-income countries, with one in three living in severe poverty only consuming milk and grain every day
• Girls are 40-50% more likely to die in infancy and childhood than boys because parents prioritise nutrition and medical care for sons over daughters
• Anaemia in low-and middle-income countries is costing women and girls $110 billion2 in lost productivity. Without the effects of stunting and anaemia, 15.8 million more girls would complete secondary school every year
• In NZ, there is an estimated loss of $897m in income from malnutrition
• Ultra-processed foods now make up 80% of diets in high-income countries and 30% in middle income countries, adding additional complexity to a global nutrition crisis
• Without change more than three million girls will die in the next four years due to low birthweight and Vitamin A deficiencies

Malnutrition in women and girls costs the global economy more than $1.6 trillion annually in lost productivity, according to a disturbing new report from aid agency, World Vision. 

The report, Breaking the Cycle: Malnutrition’s Toll on Women and Girls, is launched ahead of World Food Day (October 16th) and underscores the urgent need for action to address a global nutrition crisis.

The research reveals that women and adolescent girls comprise nearly two-thirds of the world’s chronically malnourished, with more than one billion suffering from various forms of malnutrition. 

World Vision New Zealand’s Head of Fragile and Developing Countries, Belinda Robb, says girls’ malnutrition weakens their immune system, heightens disease, and leads to higher mortality rates.

She says it is a pervasive global crisis with far-reaching implications, affecting their education, future earnings, and increasing their likelihood to experience violence and stress.

“This report highlights the enormous costs of malnutrition to girls and women worldwide, and the urgency needed to address it. We need to invest in essential nutrition and address systemic issues in food production so we can enhance health, expand educational opportunities, and improve economic outcomes for millions of women and girls to ensure a healthier, more equitable future for future generations.” 

Currently, two thirds of children under five in low- and middle-income countries live in food poverty, with a third of these subsisting on a diet limited to milk and grain each day.

Robb says without significant intervention, hundreds of thousands of infants are expected to die from low birth weight, and 2.5 million girls could die due to Vitamin A deficiencies.

Globally, women face a higher risk of food insecurity than men, with a widening gender gap evident in Asia, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and anaemia predominantly affect women and girls in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In some countries, the prioritization of nutrition and medical care for boys over girls reveals a tragic truth:  girls are 40-50% more likely to die in infancy and childhood than boys.

Globally, 30% of girls and women globally are suffering from anaemia, which has a wealth of negative health implications for women and girls. Maternal iron deficiency and anaemia can increase the risk of maternal death from haemorrhage, causes low birth weight in infants, and impairs child development. Anaemia also harms women’s productivity and their ability to generate income, reducing the health and quality of life for millions of women and future generations.

Malnutrition, particularly anaemia, costs children and women $110 billion in lost productivity in low- and middle-income countries. Without the impacts of stunting and anaemia, an additional 15.8 million girls could complete secondary school each year.

World Vision’s Advocacy lead, Dana Buzducea, says many families turn to child labour to provide short-term economic relief, but this traps girls in a cycle of low-incomes and chronic food insecurity. 

“The number of people going to bed hungry and living with the long-term effects of malnutrition shot-up during the pandemic and have not dropped. This is after years of success in reducing hunger.  People who cannot feed their children are left with little choice but to leave their countries and seek survival elsewhere,” she says.

Buzducea says the nutrition crisis is not just an issue in low-income countries either.  Since the 1990s, poverty among girls has risen in more than half of OECD countries, trapping many in a cycle of poverty and malnutrition that threatens the next generation.

She says ultra-processed foods now make up 80% of diets in high-income countries and 30 per cent in middle income countries, causing a plethora of health issues.

World Vision is calling on governments, organisations, and individuals to unite in combating malnutrition and advocating for the rights and health of women and girls globally.

To help ensure a girl has the nutrition she needs to survive and thrive, visit: https://www.worldvision.org.nz/give-now/sponsor-a-child/#choose  

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