Africa 'very, very far away' from meeting global target to end child malnutrition

No African country is expected to reach the UN target of ending childhood malnutrition by 2030, according to a new study.

The research, comprised of two papers published in the science journal Nature, is the first of its kind to identify local hotspots for poor child nutrition and low education levels across 51 African countries. By using maps of local health and education data, in 5x5 sq km across the whole continent, researchers identified variations at state and county level missed from previous comparisons.

Simon Hay, senior author of the papers and director of geospatial science at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, said the UN global goal of ending childhood malnutrition was always quoted as an “aspirational” target.

“All we are trying to say is that this aspiration is very, very far away,” Hay said. “Particularly at a time when people are questioning, at least in the US, at the top levels of government, the value of international aid and what it brings.”


Source : theguardian