Publication Date
9-1-2022
Keywords
malnutrition, risk factors, South Asia, SAM
Volume
2022
Abstract
South Asia is home to 23% of the global population and has the largest prevalence of stunting in any region in the world. Severe acute malnutrition is a frequent cause of death in children under 5 globally. While sustainable development goals have brought more people out of poverty in the last 50 years, a disproportionate number of children remain malnourished. These children are typically found in developing countries, with a large burden existing in South Asia. Young children are most susceptible to the effects of malnutrition as they are at a stage of increased physical and cognitive development. There are many contributors to this problem in South Asia: mainly due to inflating food prices, lack of education, and other familial or living conditions. Many of the physical and cognitive effects children suffer under the age of 5 due to malnutrition are irreversible after age 5 and can lead to death or severe disability. Government groups are standardizing the method of identifying and treating severe acute malnutrition in children, and some groups are implementing those methods; however, the impact needs to be more rigorously studied to show how implementing best practices affect the outcomes of malnourished individuals.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Madison
(2022)
"Presence of Malnutrition and Severe Acute Malnutrition among Children in South Asia,"
Ballard Brief: Vol. 2022:
Iss.
3, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ballardbrief/vol2022/iss3/8