Joint UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Child malnutrition database
Main Findings
Stunting
Globally, 162 million under-five year olds were stunted in 2012.
The global trend in stunting prevalence and the burden continues to decrease. Between 2000 and 2012 stunting prevalence declined from 33% to 25% and burden declined from 197 million to 162 million.
In 2012, 56% of all stunted children lived in Asia and 36% in Africa.
Underweight
Globally, 99 million under-five year olds were underweight in 2012.
The global trend in underweight prevalence continues to decrease, but at a slow pace. Between 1990 and 2012 underweight prevalence decreased from 25% to 15%, which remains insufficient to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving the 1990 prevalence by 2015.
In 2012, 67% of all underweight children lived in Asia and 29% in Africa.
Wasting and severe wasting
Based on prevalence data1, globally, 51 million under-five year olds were wasted and 17 million were severely wasted in 2012.
Globally, moderate wasting and severe wasting prevalence in 2012 were estimated at almost 8% and just less than 3% respectively.
In 2012, approximately 71% of all severely wasted children resided in Asia and 28% in Africa, with similar figures for wasted children at 69% and 28% respectively.
Overweight
Globally, 44 million under-five year olds were overweight in 2012.
The global trend in overweight prevalence and burden is rising. Between 2000 and 2012 overweight prevalence increased from 5% to 7% and the global burden increased from 32 million to 44 million. The rise in overweight prevalence is reflected in all regions, while the burden is increasing in Africa, Asia and the developed countries, but stagnating in Latin America and Oceania.
In 2012, overweight prevalence was highest in Southern Africa (18%), Central Asia (12%) and Southern America (7%).
Data Dashboards
Six on-line interactive dashboards were developed to allow users to explore the entire time-series (1990 – 2012) of global and regional estimates of prevalence and burden for stunting, underweight, overweight, wasting and severe wasting indicators by various country regional and income group classifications.
The dashboards are available on-line http://www.childinfo.org/malnutrition_dashboard.html
1Note that there is a strong case for estimates of wasting to be based on incidence data as it is thought that prevalence data underestimates the true burden globally.
More like this
FEX: Update of UNICEF/WHO/World Bank database on child malnutrition
Summary of research1 Location: Global What we know: A joint database on child malnutrition is maintained by UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank. To date this has not included...
NEX: New global malnutrition estimates
The new joint estimates from the inter-agency team (UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank Group) on child stunting, overweight, underweight and wasting show that stunting is declining...
FEX: Global Trends in Malnutrition
Summary of published paper1 Child with Kwashiorkor in Kalongo, Pader. A recent study set out to estimate trends in childhood underweight by geographic regions of the world in...
FEX: From the Editor
There is no single theme for this issue of Field Exchange but lots of interesting and wide ranging material. A good place to start this editorial is to note the short research...
FEX: Algorithms for converting NCHS references
Summary of published research1 One of the challenges thrown up by the development and introduction of the new WHO growth standards is that surveys using the new growth...
Resource: The Double Burden of Obesity and Malnutrition in a Protracted Emergency Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study of Western Sahara Refugees
Abstract Background Households from vulnerable groups experiencing epidemiological transitions are known to be affected concomitantly by under-nutrition and obesity. Yet, it...
FEX: Stunting and wasting in children under two years old in a semi-nomadic pastoralist population in Kenya
By Amelia Reese-Masterson, Masumi Maehara and Mark Murage Gathii Amelia Reese-Masterson is Research Advisor in the Nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods Unit at...
FEX: Double Burden of obesity and malnutrition in Western Sahara refugees
Summary of published research1 There is growing recognition of a ‘double burden’ of malnutrition among populations in both affluent and less-affluent countries, i.e. the...
FEX: UNICEF global SAM management update (2012)
Summary of report1 Thanks to Saul Guerrero, ACF-UK, for preparing this summary. Location: Global What we know: Mapping of global SAM management requires baseline and...
FEX: Effect of nutrition survey ‘cleaning criteria’ on estimates of malnutrition prevalence and disease burden: secondary data analysis
Summary of research1 Location: Global What we know: Standardised methods for collection and reporting malnutrition prevalence data in nutrition surveys are used. What this...
FEX: Relationships between wasting and stunting and their concurrent occurrence in Ghanaian pre-school children
Summary of research* Location: Ghana. What we know: Wasting is a short-term health issue, but repeated episodes may lead to stunting (long-term or chronic malnutrition). This...
FEX: Global Nutrition Report
This Global Nutrition Report (GNR) is the first in an annual series. It tracks worldwide progress in improving nutrition status, identifies bottlenecks to change, highlights...
FEX: An investment framework for nutrition: Reaching the global targets for stunting, anaemia, breastfeeding and wasting
Summary of research* Location: Global What we know: Child malnutrition has lifelong consequences for heath, human capital, economic development, prosperity and equity. Global...
FEX: Linking agriculture with nutrition within SDG2: making a case for a dietary diversity indicator
By Anna Lartey Anna Lartey is Director of FAO's Nutrition Division within the Economic and Social Development Department at FAO in Rome. She was a Professor of Nutrition at...
FEX: Managing severe acute malnutrition in India: prospects and Challenges
By Biraj Patnaik Biraj Patnaik is the Principal Adviser to the Commissioners of the Supreme Court of India in the right to food case. He is also associated with the Right to...
FEX: Growth faltering in rural Gambian children after four decades of interventions: a retrospective cohort study
Summary of Research1 Nabwera HM, Fulford AJ, Moore SE and Prentice AM. (2017). Growth faltering in rural Gambian children after four decades of interventions: a retrospective...
FEX: Tackling the double burden of malnutrition in low and middle-income countries: response of the international community
Research By Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera Alexandra Rutishauser-Perera is a Humanitarian Nutrition Adviser with Save the Children. She has ten years of experience of public...
FEX: Review of food security and nutrition amongst urban poor
Summary of review1 Location: Kenya, Niger, Bangladesh What we know: A significant and increasing proportion of the world population resides in urban slums. Achieving food...
Blog post: Stunting & Wasting in South Asia- Reflections from a Regional conference
Over the years the scope of ENN's work has expanded beyond a focus on humanitarian contexts to encompass a broader set of issues around drivers of wasting and stunting in both...
FEX: Nutritional status of children and pregnant and lactating women in relief camps in post-tsunami Sri Lanka
Summary of published research 1 The post-tsunami survey reported below describes a decline in nutrition and health status amongst women and children, and makes...
Reference this page
Joint UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Child malnutrition database. Nutrition Exchange 4, July 2014. p4. www.ennonline.net/nex/4/en/joint