An assessment of the causes of malnutrition in Ethiopia: A ...

CHAPTER 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVING NUTRITION FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ETHIOPIA
Todd Benson, PhD
International Food Policy Research Institute
Washington, DC, USA 1
While episodes of severe hunger, such as the 2002 drought emergency, receive
immediate attention, chronic malnutrition poses a silent and relentless obstacle to economic
development in Ethiopia. The prevalence of stunted children in Ethiopia - the percentage of
children under five years of age with abnormally low height for their age - is among the
highest in the world. Although there has been some improvement in this indicator of long
term nutritional deprivation in recent years, the national prevalence rate of 52 percent in 2000
was still significantly above the sub-Saharan average of 34 percent, and only slightly below
the 1983 level of 60 percent. Moreover, as indicated in Figure 1.1, malnutrition is pervasive;
no region is exempt from this problem.
If Ethiopia seeks sustainable human and economic development, failing to pay
attention to child and maternal nutrition issues is shortsighted. This is the case with respect to
the human development targets of the Millennium Development Goals, the poverty reduction
targets of the Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Program, and to any objective
of accelerated income growth. In poorly nourished populations, reductions in hunger and
improved nutrition convey considerable productivity gains. Such productivity gains are
necessary for economic growth. In addition, improved nutrition reduces the need for health
services and thus can free up resources for other pressing investments. It is the existence of
these sizeable gains, together with cost effective interventions, that underlie the economic
case for improving child nutrition in Ethiopia.
Going beyond the critical role that nutrition plays in economic and human
development, good nutritional status is a cornerstone that affects the health of all people,
enabling us to reach our fullest potential as individuals and societies. Accordingly, nutrition
has long been recognized as a fundamental human right, enshrined in key international
conventions. Freedom from hunger and malnutrition was declared a basic human right in the
1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The convention ensures that “Everyone has the
right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his
family…” (Article 25). As children are the primary victims of malnutrition, this principle was
reinforced in the 1989 Convention of the Rights of the Child, ratified by the government of
Ethiopia. Article 24 of the Convention states that “States Parties recognize the right of the
child to enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health…” and shall act appropriately
“to combat disease and malnutrition” through the provision of “adequate nutritious foods,
clean drinking-water, and healthcare.” The right to nutrition security is also upheld in the
constitution of Ethiopia, entrusting the government to act appropriately to ensure that these
nutritional rights are adequately protected, especially among the most vulnerable – children,
the elderly, and the infirm.
This document provides a synthesis of research that was done in an initial assessment
and analysis stage of the process to develop a National Nutrition Strategy for Ethiopia. This
chapter of the synthesis report provides a broad, global perspective on the problem of
malnutrition in society and has two aims. First, it seeks to provide a clear general
understanding of what are the causes of malnutrition. That is, what are the factors that result
1 Dr. Harold Alderman of the World Bank graciously contributed to and commented on this chapter.
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