Background paper on nutrition issues in ANE region : constraints and opportunities

Compared with Africa and Latin America, the Asia/Near East region is worse off in terms of: the percentage and total number of malnourished children under age 5, the percentage of acute malnutrition in children ages 1-3, growth failure peaks in children aged 12-24 months, and the prevalence of Vitamin A deficiencies and of anemia among pregnant women. Poverty is the overriding constraint to nutrition improvement in the Subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Secondary problems are improper feeding and nutrition practices, which are widespread throughout the region. The report recommends that A.I.D. emphasize the following interventions: targeted nutrition education messages; product fortification with vitamins and minerals (especially Vitamin A and iron); development of low-cost, labor-saving weaning foods utilizing local commodities and the private agribusiness sector; research on nutrition impact on workforce productivity, low birth weight reduction, and adolescent female nutritional status; and monitoring and improvement of household food security through agricultural and small-scale enterprise development.