Opportunities for Investments in Nutrition in Low-income Asia

Abstract

This paper examines the opportunities for nutritional investments in nine low-income Asian countries, where current levels of malnutrition are high and declining only slowly. Income growth alone is not sufficient to reduce malnutrition. The economic costs of malnutrition in the region are high, accounting for as many as 2.8 million child deaths and 65,000 maternal deaths annually. Productivity losses can be conservatively estimated to be at least 2-3 percent of GDP annually. Nutrition investments are very cost-effective. Micronutrient interventions and breastfeeding promotion are as cost-effective as basic child survival initiatives, and education/supplementation programs are as cost-effective as antenatal care. Priority interventions in the region include: strengthening monitoring of salt iodization (and extension of the program to Cambodia); extension of coverage of vitamin A mass dose, establishing vitamin A fortification programs, and enforcing existing legislation; establishing iron fortification and intensifying coverage of iron supplementation to pregnant women; promotion of best practice in breastfeeding; water and sanitation investments in selected regions; and building on successful community-based nutrition programs.