Why malnutrition is still a major problem in the world
4'
We live in a world that is wealthier and more developed than ever. We can board a plane and cross the planet before the day ends. We can talk to family and friends continents away. We have resources and knowledge unimaginable to previous generations.
Yet hunger remains a daily reality for millions of people, particularly in developing nations. It impacts young mothers and children most severely – in fact, one in three child deaths is linked to malnutrition.
How is it that so many women and children still battle with malnutrition in this day and age?
Several factors perpetuate malnutrition. Natural disasters, many of them related to climate change, force families to leave their homes and land. Conflict also causes mass displacement and creates unstable economies and desperate communities. With no way to earn a livelihood, parents, many whom are already in vulnerable situations, can’t afford food for their children.
Malnutrition is more than lack of food, it means an absence of vital nutrients. When pregnant and breastfeeding women become malnourished, their unborn children and infants can’t develop normally. Children who lack diverse diets suffer from weakness, stunted growth, illness, and even death.
Especially tragic is a malnourished child’s loss of potential. Lack of nutrients can permanently impair a child’s ability to think and learn, which limits their opportunities and hope for the future.
The problem is urgent, but through your support, we’re providing a front-line response. In our programmes around the world, malnourished children and mothers receive life-saving relief in remote communities. Suffering communities receive emergency medical treatment and nutrient-rich food to prevent deaths and heal children. Mothers and communities are educated about the importance of hygiene, vaccinations, and diet diversity, which prevents malnutrition from occurring in the first place.
Beyond supplying emergency food and medical treatment, we promote better long-term health by equipping families to start abundant kitchen gardens. We teach techniques for farm renewal so that families can restore damaged land and produce crops for the future. Coupled with immediate food aid, these farms and gardens provide essential nutrients for malnourished families and help build resilience in otherwise very difficult circumstances.
So how can we respond to the malnutrition we still see threatening millions of lives today? We can hold on to hope.
Believe it or not, global nutrition is actually improving and the global community has made real progress towards reducing malnutrition worldwide. Efforts to treat, and more importantly prevent, malnutrition are being carried out every day in some of the toughest places around the world. Your support plays a vital role in these efforts. For that, we say thank you.
Thank you for your continued support. To support more communities struggling with malnutrition in places like Afghanistan and South Sudan, please consider making a gift today.
CHECK OUR LATEST STORIES
Featured StoriesStoriesSyriaHealth and Nutrition
A new life for a clinic in Syria
"The clinic is ready!" The news was music to Dr Eyad's,(the director of Tal Salhab clinic), ears. Medair had just completed the rehabilitation of Tal Salhab's only primary health centre, providing it with much-needed medical equipment – offering a lifeline to over...
StoriesSudanWater, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
The Sudan crisis: how Medair is stepping in
Sudan crisis: how Medair is stepping in Twelve months into the armed conflict in Sudan, it has become the largest displacement crisis in the world. To date, 8.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes, and the number is growing every day. Families have...
StoriesUkraineHealth and NutritionMental Health
The Need for mental health support in Ukraine
“I really enjoyed the organization of these trainings. I’ve already gained a lot of interesting knowledge, which, it seems, I was already familiar with, but had never thought about it deeply. Learning new things, I understand how I can apply them in my work to...
StoriesMadagascarWater, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Medair’s innovative response to drought
In southern Madagascar, Medair aims to play a key role in improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene for vulnerable communities affected by drought and 'kere' (famine). Normally, people living in remote villages in southern Madagascar need to walk 10 to 40...
StoriesUkraineShelter and Infrastructure
Surviving Adversity
“Sometime around 6 a.m., my nephew called me and said, ‘Are you still sleeping? THE conflict has started.’ I shouted at my children to turn on the television to watch the news. I never thought I would experience something like this at my age. It was a terrifying...
StoriesJordanHealth and Nutrition
Health Improvement Journey
"We lost everything, our home and farm, therefore I left everything behind me. I carry hope to have a better place for me and for my family," Fozeh said, her voice heavy with the weight of displacement but her spirit resilient with the promise of a brighter future....
StoriesMadagascarWater, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)Women & Children
Fetching water, a burden for women
In the struggle of finding clean water, women bear the heaviest load "In addition to my duties as a single mother, I have to fetch water three hours away every day," shares Farasoa, a 38-year-old divorcee raising seven children in the Fokontany of Ambory...
StoriesYemenHealth and Nutrition
From a shack to a health unit
Following nearly a decade of conflict in Yemen, the country has experienced a partial collapse of an already fragile public infrastructure, leaving approximately 66 percent of the population in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Yemen’s healthcare system has...