High Iron and Zinc Beans: Kicking Hidden Hunger out of Malawi
Malawi Policy Brief
By: Justice Munthali; Robert Fungo; Rowland Chirwa; Patricia Onyango; and Jean Claude Rubyogo.
2020
Two thirds (63%) of Malawian children suffer from anaemia; a condition of low haemoglobin levels in the body, and iron is a key component of haemoglobin. iron deficiency is estimated to be responsible for half of global anaemia cases, and iron-deficiency anaemia is leading cause of global sickness. children suffering from iron-deficiency anaemia have poorer cognition, school achievement, and more behavioral issues into middle childhood.
Six in every ten (60%) Malawian children also suffer from zinc deficiency. zinc deficiency is closely associated with growth retardation, increased risk of child sickness and immortality in developing countries. in 2012, combined effects of malnutrition ripped a tenth of Malawi's Gross Domestic Product (GDP); an equivalent of USD 597 million in health, education and labour productivity losses. there are a number of opportunities available that the Malai government can explore to combat malnutrition in all its forms, especialy among school going children and their households. due to the multi-faceted nature of malnutrition, there is need to employ a multi-sectorial approach as a winning formula. the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education among healthy children will be realized when stakeholders in agriculture, education and health jointly work to kick malnutrition out of Malawi.
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