Improper nutrition impacts
all countries across the 6 continents. The major
problem with malnutrition globally is poor nutrition,
but over nutrition is a considerable burden in
some countries with a trend toward an increasing
contribution to the health burden.
Poor nutrition is predominantly
the scourge of the developing world and is affecting
mostly children. Their poor early childhood nutritional
state results in their failure to thrive and stunted
growth and the development of a weakened immune
system. Mental growth and development are also
impacted and negatively affected. Every year,
millions die early from preventable diseases,
mostly gastrointestinal and pulmonary infections.
Chronic food deficits affect about 792
million people in the world (FAO 2000), including
20% of the population in developing countries.
Worldwide, malnutrition affects one in three people
and each of its major forms dwarfs most other
diseases globally (WHO, 2000).
The inverse case of over
nutrition is progressively increasing within the
developed world, leading to an epidemic in non-communicable
diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity
and hypercholesterolaemia. Resulting in cardiovascular
diseases as a leading cause of death for millions
annually in the developed world (WHO, 2000). This
is a stark contrast from the undernourished picture
which is predominantly seen in the developing
nations.
The significant disparity
between food availability in the developed world
versus the food scarcity in the developing world
is a tragedy of the 21st century.
Jamaica is world renowned
for its research work in Nutrition, through the
work of the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute
and the Tropical Medicine Research Institute both
at the University of the West Indies.
Dr. Cicely Williams was
the first female Jamaican doctor and the first
physician in the world to recognize and document
Kwashiorkor as Protein Energy Malnutrition during
her work in poor West African countries in the
early 19th century. Subsequently, malnutrition
in all it forms was further classified in Jamaica
according to the Waterlow Classification.
Jamaica has a wealth
of experience and enough local expertise to present
this theme to delegates at the General Assembly
in Ocho Rios.
|
