Nutrition

Most recent estimates show that globally, 149.2 million children under the age of 5 years of age are stunted (too short for their age) and 45.4 million are wasted (underweight for their height).  The number of children with stunting is declining in all regions except Africa. Over three-quarters of all children suffering from severe wasting live in Asia.

Around 45% of deaths among children under 5 years of age are linked to undernutrition. These mostly occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Anaemia is a serious global public health problem that particularly affects young children and pregnant women. WHO estimates that 40% of children less than 5 years of age and 37% of pregnant women worldwide are anaemic. Thirty percent of women of reproductive age have anaemia.

Globally, 1.9 billion adults are overweight or obese and 38.9 million children under 5 years of age are overweight. Rates of childhood overweight and obesity are rising, particularly in high-income and upper-middle-income countries.

Although breastfeeding protects against undernutrition and overweight, only 44% of infants under 6 months of age are exclusively breastfed.

High sodium consumption (>5 g salt/day) contributes to high blood pressure and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Most people consume too much salt – on average 9–12 grams per day, or around twice the recommended maximum level of intake.