Anemia

27 .2 %

Children

2 0 1 4

Over

nutrition

14 .9 %

Acute

malnutrition

8 .4 %

Malnutrition in the OIC Member

Countries: A Trap for Poverty

State of Malnutrition

Chronic

malnutrition

2 1 . 4 %

Figure 25: Malnutrition in Egypt at a Glance

Source: EDHS (2014

In 2014, 8.4% of children surveyed by DHS were wasted (a “poor” situation according to WHO

thresholds]. The prevalence of wasting was particularly high amongst infants up to the age of

months (14.4%) and in the Frontier Governorates (14.1%). Surprisingly, the prevalence of

wasting is lowest among children from the poorest group (7.4%), and highest among children

of the second richest group (9.3%).

21.4% of children under the age of 5 were stunted, which corresponds to a medium prevalence

according to WHO. Stunting rates peaked around the ages of 18-23 months (at 24.6%).

Whereas there is no meaningful gender difference in wasting, boys are particularly prone to

stunting: 22.8% of boys compared to 19.9% of girls are stunted. Unlike for wasting, there is

also a large difference between urban and rural settings, with children in urban areas more

likely to be stunted. Stunting rates are also higher than average in Upper Egypt, particularly in

urban Upper Egypt (15% compared to 10.9% in rural Upper Egypt).

27.2% of children below 5 years old suffer from anaemia, according to the EDHS (2014). Rural

children are more affected (29.2%) than urban ones (23.1%), as are children in the Frontier

governorates (44.5%) and Upper Egypt (30.2%) than other regions. Prevalence of anaemia

also steadily goes down with the wealth index.

15% of children below 5 years of age are overweight. Overweight is particularly pronounced

among children below

month of age (19.5%) but is otherwise very similar across wealth

groups, rural/urban, and education levels of the mothers. Only in frontier governorates is

overweight well below national average (8.3%).