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Inequality worsens hunger, malnutrition in Latin America, Caribbean
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IANS | 08 Nov, 2018
Hunger, malnutrition, lack of micronutrients, overweight and obesity
have greater impact on people with lower income, women, indigenous
people, Afro-descendants and rural families in Latin America and the
Caribbean, a new UN report has said.
The Panorama of Food and
Nutrition Security 2018 report focuses on the close linkages between
economic and social inequality and the higher levels of hunger, obesity
and malnutrition of the most vulnerable populations of the region.
According
to the report, published on Wednesday, in Latin America, 8.4 per cent
of women live in severe food insecurity, compared to 6.9 per cent of
men, while indigenous populations generally suffer greater food
insecurity than non-indigenous people. In ten countries, children from
the poorest 20 per cent of households suffer three times more stunting
than the richest 20 per cent.
The Panorama indicates that one of
the main causes of the rise of malnutrition in vulnerable population
groups are the changes that the region's food systems - the cycle of
food from production to consumption - have undergone.
These
changes have affected the entire population, but the most excluded
members of society have suffered the worst effects; while many have
increased their consumption of healthy foods such as milk and meat,
often they must opt for cheap products with high fat, sugar and salt
content.
To respond to growing malnutrition, the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Pan American
Health Organization (PAHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF),
and the World Food Program (WFP), call on countries to implement public
policies that combat inequality and promote healthy and sustainable
food systems.
Obesity has become the greatest nutritional threat
in Latin America and the Caribbean. Nearly one in four adults is obese.
Overweight affects 7.3 per cent (3.9 million) of children under 5 years
of age, a figure that exceeds the world average of 5.6 per cent, the
Panorama report indicates.
"Obesity is growing uncontrollably.
Each year we are adding 3.6 million obese people to this region. 250
million people live with overweight, 60 percent of the regional
population. The situation is appalling," said FAO's Regional
Representative Julio Berdegué.
"Although undernourishment
persists in the region, particularly in vulnerable populations, we must
also consider obesity and overweight, which also affect these groups. A
multisectoral approach is needed, one that ensures access to balanced
and healthy foods while addressing other social factors that also impact
on these forms of malnutrition, such as access to education, water and
sanitation, and health services", said Carissa F. Etienne, Director of
PAHO/WHO.
"We must advance access to universal healthcare so that
all people can receive the care and prevention measures they need due
to malnutrition and its long-term consequences", she added.
"Gender
equity is a valuable policy instrument to reduce inequalities We need
to strengthen it in practice, which involves promoting equality in
access and control of household resources, as well as in decisions to
empower women in inequality", said Miguel Barreto, Regional Director of
WFP for Latin America and the Caribbean.
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