opportunitiestoprotectandenhancenutrition.docVIP

Opportunities to Protect and Enhance Nutrition in the East Asia and Pacific Region June 20, 2009 Judith S. McGuire With assistance from Amber Willink and Eko Pambudi 7/9/2009EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The East Asia and Pacific region shows dramatic contrasts in nutrition. Many of the Pacific Islands have some of the highest obesity rates in the world (close to 80% among women in Tonga) while Cambodia, Laos and Timor Leste have some of the highest rates of underweight and stunting (close to or above 50%). Micronutrient deficiencies, especially anemia, persist even among the successful East Asian countries like China and Thailand. Women have high rates of anemia, excessive thinness, and short stature that are risk factors for maternal mortality, low birth-weight, and poor health. Many of the countries in the region are net food exporters and, on paper at least, have sufficient calories to feed their populations and yet the poor, isolated populations and ethnic minorities are food insecure. Major causes of child malnutrition include poverty and food insecurity, poor water and sanitation, women’s status, and young child feeding practices. The food and fuel price spikes of 2007-8 and the current financial crisis threaten food security and nutrition in East Asia and Pacific region. Most of these economies, which grew at high rates before the crisis, were particularly vulnerable because they were highly integrated into world markets, many people lived close to the poverty line, their consumption basket and diet were heavily dependent on one commodity (rice) which has a uniquely shallow market structure, and because large numbers of people were already malnourished before the crisis started. Food price inflation has been accompanied by rising unemployment in certain sectors, particularly in urban areas, which has thrown some populations into a food security crisis. Most of the high burden countries have in place already natio