Poor health 'stunting growth'

Melanie Lofgren
3:55 p.m.
11/13/09

129 million children are underweight. One in three, or 195 million children, have a stunted growth due to a poor diet. One third of child deaths (children under five) in developing countries are due to malnourishment. The number of children with a stunted growth is larger than the number of underweight children because of their diet. While children may have food, it may not be of nutritious quality that is beneficial to their health. The number of underweight children is decreasing, although not as much as expected or hoped. The Millennium Development Goals, a United Nations project, is composed of eight goals. One of those goals is to cut in half the number of children who suffer from hunger between 1990 and 2015. Only 63 countries out of 117 are achieving this goal. The countries struggling the most are Africa and India while South America and Asia are doing better. Malnourishment or the stunting of growth starts at the beginning of a child’s life. The first 1,000 days of life are the most critical and children should be breastfed for at least the first six months. Unicef chief Ann Veneman said: "Undernutrition steals a child's strength and makes illnesses that the body might otherwise fight off far more dangerous. Unless attention is paid to addressing the causes of child and maternal undernutrition today, the costs will be considerably higher tomorrow."

This story ties with many of my previous articles. There are multiple projects geared towards the survival of children in developing countries. Children in developing countries are not adequately fed, they are not raised in the best environments, they are malnourished and thus are more susceptible to diseases, and they are not provided a sufficient education. There is not enough money to fulfill these goals and that is a major problem. Children should be given an opportunity to succeed in this world.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8353594.stm