New study shows 1 in 2 children and 2 in 3 women worldwide are affected by micronutrient deficiencies

GENEVA, Oct. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Research published today in Lancet Global Health points out that vitamin and mineral deficiencies (often referred to as “hidden hunger”) affect 1 in 2 preschool children and 2 in 3 women of childbearing age worldwide. For decades it was widely believed that 2 billion were suffering from this hidden hunger. But these new findings on just women and young children — who make up just one-third of the world’s total population — suggest that the number is far larger when all school-age children, adolescents, men and older adults are excluded from this analysis and contain gaps in the data are. The study “Micronutrient Deficiencies in Preschool Children and Women of Childbearing Age Worldwide” was a collaborative project led by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) as part of the USAID Advancing Nutrition project along with a team of global micronutrient experts. including an advisory panel assembled by the Micronutrient Forum. Each step of the analysis was checked through a formal process, and then the paper underwent rigorous peer review in a leading global health journal.

Lynnette Neufeld, director of the Division of Food and Nutrition at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said: “A diet that doesn’t provide the right amounts of vitamins and minerals can compromise your immune system, your cognition and your schooling affect your productivity, reduce your work productivity and contribute to risks of non-communicable diseases such as heart problems. This is a widespread problem affecting individuals, families and communities around the world, but especially in low-income countries.”

Micronutrient deficiencies are highest in low-income countries, as diets often lack a variety of nutrient-dense foods and typically rely on a large proportion of calories from rice, wheat, corn, or similar staples. In fact, 9 out of 10 women in several countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are deficient. However, deficits are surprisingly large even in high-income countries. For example, in the US and UK, between one-third and one-half of women of childbearing age suffer from one or more micronutrients. In high-income countries, this is likely the result of a diet high in processed but micronutrient-poor foods, rather than relying on a single staple as in many low-income countries.

According to Saskia Osendarp, Managing Director of the Micronutrient Forum, “There are very clear solutions. We need to ensure everyone has access to a variety of micronutrient-rich foods, including animal foods, dark green leafy vegetables, and beans, lentils, or peas. Food fortification can help make up the difference when a healthy diet is unaffordable or accessible. Health programs can provide supplements for people with special needs, such as pregnant women and malnourished children.”

It may sound simple, but implementing these solutions is not easy because our food systems are not fit for purpose and are becoming less so. These problems have been around for a long time – and urgently need to be addressed. Problems are now being exacerbated by the long-term effects of climate change, the ongoing damage to supply chains from the pandemic and war in Ukraine, and the upcoming economic downturn, all of which combine to create major challenges.

Many solutions are already available. Accessibility and affordability can be addressed by prioritizing the productivity and diversity of a variety of nutritious crops and livestock, developing crops that are more nutritious and drought-resistant (“biofortification”), reducing trade and transportation costs, and improving markets. People in vulnerable situations often need direct support through social protection programs such as cash transfers and micronutrient-rich food subsidies.

GAIN Executive Director Lawrence Haddad concluded: “This new paper is a game changer. Hidden hunger is likely to affect almost half of the people on the planet, not a quarter as we had previously and quite smugly assumed. In particular, our failure to feed hunger at the youngest will undermine public health and haunt us socially, economically, environmentally and politically for generations to come. All sections of society, led by governments, must address the burden of hidden hunger through all available channels. Personally, these findings throw down the gauntlet to GAIN and to all organizations working towards a world free of malnutrition. We all have to work together and rise to the challenge.”

This study was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The content is the responsibility of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States governmentt.

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