Introduction - Nutrition
Malnutrition is the underlying cause for more than 50 per cent of deaths of children under five years of age. In Ethiopia more than five out of ten children under the age of five are chronically malnourished (growth retardation). Rates of stunting are the highest in Amhara, Tigray, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) regions and in rural areas. Malnutrition is a multi-causal problem associated with poverty, household food insecurity, low access to health care, poor sanitation, inadequate infant and young child feeding practices, high levels of infectious disease and HIV/AIDS. In 2002/ 2003, the failure of rains in various areas of the country has resulted in increased numbers of persons suffering from hunger. Some 60,000 children under five-years-old were estimated at risk of severe acute malnutrition. On top of that, the quantity of food assistance and the quality of the food basket were fairly limited. Therefore, the inadequate quality of food provided, combined with already existing traditional cultural practices leading to poor diets lacking in crucial micronutrients and high rates of chronic malnutrition amongst children, made them particularly vulnerable. Iodine and vitamin A are essential nutrients for the normal growth and development of infants and children. Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) include abortions, stillbirths, infant mortality, cretinism, psychomotor defects, physical and mental retardation, and goiter. Vitamin A deficiency increases infectious morbidity and mortality and causes blindness, growth retardation, and anemia.
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