GLOBAL NUTRITION REPORT

The Global Nutrition Report 2017 duly notes that no country in the world is on track to meet targets to reduce anemia among women of reproductive age-

With the number of women with anemia actually increasing in 2012.

The Report -which tracks global nutrition targets including national progress against globally agreed targets for maternal, infant and young child nutrition [MIYCN] also showed, for example-

Pakistan spends only around 3.7 per cent of its national budget on nutrition interventions despite despite having around 52 per cent of the population affected by micronutrient deficiencies.

By contrast regionally, Bangladesh spends 8.2 per cent of its budget, Nepal 13.1 per cent on nutrition intervention.

The report's analysis shows that 88 per cent of countries face a serious burden of either two or three forms of malnutrition -childhood stunting, anemia in women of reproduction age and or overweight adult women.

Pakistan, it said, also shows no progress in reducing anaemia as the statistics remain static, the report shows.

It says there is no progress against global nutrition targets such as controlling under-five stunting, wasting and obesity.

Well-nourished children/students it said, are 33 per cent more likely to escape poverty as adults, and each added centimetre of adult height can lead to an almost five per cent increase in wage rate, it says.

The report noted that nutritious and healthy diets are associated with improved performance at school.

Children who are less affected by stunting early in their life have higher test scores on cognitive assessments and activity level.

In the 140 countries studied, the report found 'significant burdens' of three important forms of malnutrition used as an indicator of broader trends including childhood stunting -children too short for their age due to lack of nutrients, suffering irreversible damage to brain capacity-

Anemia in reproductive age women -a serious condition that can have long term healthy impact for mother and child; and over weight adult women -a rising concern as women are disproportionately affected by the global obesity epidemic.