COMCEC
Malnutrition in the OIC Member
Countries: A Trap for Poverty
resents the breakdown of stunting and wasting across sex, residence, region,
education and wealth groups. According to SDHS (2014] data, 6 % of children were wasted.
This is classified as a “poor” situation, as per the WHO classification (“acceptable”, “poor”,
“serious” and “critical”]. The national average hides important regional variations as acute
malnutrition is strongly concentrated in the northern and eastern regions of Senegal.
Prevalence of wasting almost reaches 10% in the DHS northern region (9.6%), which
comprises Louga, Matam and Saint-Louis administrative regions, while it is 2.8% in the West
region (essentially the Dakar area]. Wasting also tends to be lower in the south of the country
(the rate is currently 6 %]. Wasting is otherwise more common in boys (6.2% against 5.5% for
girls] and among households of low socio-economic status (8 .2 % among households of the
poorest group, against 3.3% among those of the richest group]. Children whose mothers have
low levels of education are also more likely to be wasted (6.2% against 3.8%].
Chronic malnutrition, or stunting, affected 19% of children in 2014 (SDHS 2014], which is just
below the threshold for the situation being considered “poor”. Nevertheless, like for acute
malnutrition, chronic malnutrition is strongly regionally concentrated. Whereas regions in the
north and east are most affected by acute malnutrition, it is the south of the country, which is
most affected by chronic malnutrition. The DHS southern region8 is characterised by a
prevalence of stunting of 30% in 2014; a situation considered serious by the WHO. In the
North, in contrast, stunting was about half as prevalent (14%]. Stunting is twice as prevalent in
rural areas (23.2%] as it is in urban areas (12.4%]. Stunting is also more common in boys than
girls (20.3% against 17%] and twice as common among children whose mothers have low
levels of education as others (20% against 10%]. Finally, there is a very strong negative
relationship between socio-economic status and stunting: the rate of the latter is of 29%
among poorest households and of 8.4% among richest households.
According to SDHS (2014], 1.2% of children under 5 were overweight. This rate is much higher
for children below 9 months of age (4.7%] than for older children and is higher for boys
(1.7%] than for girls (0.8%]. Overweight is also more common in the South region (2%] and it
tends to be more prevalent among households of higher socio-economic status.
Micronutrient deficiencies constitute an acute public health problem in Senegal. 60% of
children aged 6-59 months old suffered from anaemia in 2014. Anaemia is slightly more
prevalent in boys than girls (62% against 59%]; in rural areas (64% against 55% in cities] and
among households with low socio-economic status (69% for children living in households at
the bottom wealth quintile against 59% for children living in households at the top wealth
quintile]. The problem extends to adult women: 54% of women in reproductive age and 61%
of pregnant women were anaemic (SDHS 2010, 2013]. 40% of children between 6 and 59-
month old suffer from vitamin Adeficiency (Stevens et al. 2015].
8 It is made up of Casamance (Ziguinchor, Sedhiou, Kolda] as well as the Kedougou and Tambacounda regions.
70