Malnutrition in the OIC Member
Countries: A Trap for Poverty
COMCEC
countries (from 36% to 24%). Anaemia prevalence has been reduced by almost 20% over the
period in OIC countries (from 61% to 49%) and by 17% in non-OIC countries (from 42% to
36%). Wasting has decreased by 19% in OIC countries since the early 1990s (from 10.7% to
8.6%), which is a slower rate than the 30% observed among non-OIC countries (from 7.1% to
4.9%), despite OIC countries starting with higher prevalence of wasting.
Prevalence of child overweight is currently lower in OIC countries than in the rest of the world
(5.8% against 6.8%). However, adult obesity has increased at an alarming rate during the last
three decades in OIC countries, especially in the Arab world.
14 OIC countries have made progress on both undernutrition and overnutrition since the early
1990s. These tend to be low income or lower middle-income countries. 16 OIC countries have
reduced undernutrition but witnessed a deterioration of overnutrition. These tend to be high
income or upper middle income countries. 18 OIC countries have reduced stunting, but
experienced a rise in wasting (and, often, overweight). 2 OIC countries have seen a
deterioration of both undernutrition and overnutrition.
Awide range of underlying and basic risk factors of malnutrition are more pronounced in OIC
than non-OIC countries. This is especially true of health-related and food security factors.
Malnutrition and Poverty in the OICMember Countries
Prevalence of chronic malnutrition, i.e. stunting and anaemia, tends to go down in countries
where economic growth was sustained. Among the report's case studies, Bangladesh and
Indonesia have substantially reduced stunting in conjunction with robust growth performance
of their economy and steady decline of poverty rates. However, the relationship between
stunting and poverty rate is weaker among OIC countries than in the rest of the world. It will
take more than just waiting for economic growth to eradicate chronic malnutrition.
Prevalence of acute malnutrition is very weakly correlated with poverty and economic growth
in OIC countries. Among the case studies, countries with strong and sustained economic
growth such as Bangladesh or Indonesia have not experienced any decline in wasting. In Egypt,
rates of wasting increased among the wealthier households.
Taken together, these results suggest that relying on economic growth does not suffice and
that tackling structural risk factors of malnutrition need to be prioritised, independently of
poverty levels. In all case studies, strong evidence was found that food security; health, water
and sanitation; and nutritional best practices matter a lot to determine malnutrition rates.
These factors may or may not be directly caused by poverty. Nutrition-specific policies need
thus to be accompanied with strong nutrition-sensitive policies.
Economic growth is also accompanied with rising prevalence of overweight. The strength of
this association is stronger in OIC than in non-OIC countries. The double burden of
malnutrition thus need to be tackled in an integrated manner, which was often found not to be
the case in practice.
Fight Against Malnutrition
There is no specificity of OIC countries regarding the relevance of the internationally
recognised best-practices. Most OIC countries have embarked upon adopting universal
recommendations such as the Common Results Framework (CRF), multi-sectoral nutrition
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