Malnutrition in the OIC Member
Countries: A Trap for Poverty
INTRODUCTION
Malnutrition and poor diets are the number one risk factors for diseases worldwide (GNR
2016). Malnutrition can have many facets, including stunting, wasting, overweight, obesity,
micronutrient deficiency and non-communicable diseases. Malnutrition generates significant
costs, especially when it is experienced early in life. Undernutrition and associated risks such
as suboptimal breastfeeding, vitamin A deficiency, and deficiencies of zinc, iron and iodine
often coexist and contribute to staggering numbers of disabilities and deaths in children under
five years of age. WHO (2009) estimated that these overlapping risks led to an estimated 3.9
million deaths (35% of total deaths) of children less than 5 years old in 2004. Furthermore, to
the extent that nutrition affects the lives and productivity of individuals (Behrman et. al, 2006),
it also has a negative effect on the economic growth of nations, especially those with a high
incidence of chronic undernourishment.
In 2016, 2 billion people are estimated to suffer from micronutrient malnutrition and nearly
800 million to suffer from calorie deficiency worldwide. 2 billion adults are believed to be
overweight or obese, and every twelfth adult has type 2 diabetes. Finally, out of 667 million
children under the age of five worldwide, 159 million - 23.8% - are too short for their age (are
“stunted”], 50 million - 7.5% - do not weigh enough in relation to their height (are “wasted”)
and 41 million - 6.1% - are overweight (Ibid).
In line with Sen's capability framework, malnutrition is one facet of poverty, which deprives
individuals from the freedom to conduct the lives they want for themselves. Its centrality to
human well-being and standard of living is exemplified by its inclusion in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, which states “Everyone has the right to a standard of living
adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food.” (UN
Millennium Project, 2005). Given the interaction of poor-quality diets, health, care
environments and behaviours as drivers of malnutrition, people in countries with low
economic development or political instability are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition.
There is a strong presumption that material poverty and malnutrition reinforce each other: On
the one hand, poverty is associated with poor diets, unhealthy environments, physically
demanding labour, and high fertility, all of which increase risks of malnutrition. On the other
hand, malnutrition reduces health, education, as well as immediate and future income, thus
perpetuating poverty. This vicious cycle tends to pass from one generation to the next, not
least because poor malnourished women are more likely to give birth to babies with low-birth
weight. Addressing malnutrition thus also helps stop the intergenerational transmission of
poverty and malnutrition (World Bank 2006).
The OICMember Countries bear a disproportionate share of the global burden of malnutrition.
The average proportion of wasting among children under-5 years of age is 8.6% in the OIC
countries, against 4.9% in non-OIC countries. The proportion of stunting is also higher in the
OIC world (27% versus 24.2%) as is the prevalence of anaemia - a consequence of
micronutrient deficiency - (49% in OIC countries versus 35% outside OIC). Likewise, 24 out of
46 OIC countries for which the Global Hunger Index is available - a composite indicator based
on undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality - suffer from serious or
alarming hunger levels (von Grebmer et al. 2016).
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