REGIONAL AND COUNTRY PROGRESS ON WHA INDICATORS
The last column in Table 3.1 suggests significant variation in country progress in the WHA indicators. The following graphs highlight this variation.
Stunting Child stunting3 is declining in the vast majority of countries (Fig-
ure 3.1). In most cases, the higher the prevalence, the lower the average annual rate of reduction.4
Nineteen countries show a
negative average annual rate of reduction, with Somalia having the worst prognosis. Six countries have an average annual rate of reduction of greater than 2 percent despite having stunting rates of more than 40 percent (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Yemen, and Zambia). This is impressive progress given the high prevalences.
Overweight Figure 3.2 shows where child overweight rates5
are being
reduced and where they are not. As for child stunting, the rates of reduction for child overweight tend to be higher when the prevalence is lower.
Wasting Table 3.2 shows changes in wasting rates6
for the past two
available national survey estimates, stratified by whether the wasting rate in the first survey was above or below the WHA target of 5 percent. For 76 countries the rate is constant or decreasing, and for 51 countries the rate is increasing. The countries in the top left corner of Table 3.2 face particular chal- lenges: they have wasting rates greater than 5 percent and the rates are increasing.
Exclusive breastfeeding
As Figure 3.3 shows, the three UN regions of Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean show similar rates for exclusive breast- feeding;7
all are on par with the global average of 41 percent.8
While some subregions and individual countries have expe- rienced significant progress, most notably Western Asia with a near tripling of rates, albeit from a low base, most subregions have posted only slow to modest growth. Furthermore, the change in Western Asia is being driven by the trends in breast- feeding in Turkey; in most other countries in the region exclusive breastfeeding rates remained relatively unchanged or even fell. Nonetheless, a number of countries like Bangladesh, Brazil (see
TABLE 3.1 PROGRESS TOWARD THE GLOBAL WHA TARGETS WHA target
Baseline year(s)
STUNTING
40% reduction in the num- ber of children under five who are stunteda
ANEMIA
50% reduction of anemia in women of reproductive age
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT
30% reduction in low birth weight
UNDER-FIVE OVERWEIGHT
No increase in childhood overweight
EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING
Increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months up to at least 50%
WASTING
Reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5%
Source: Authors, adapted from data in WHO (2014a).
Note: AARR = average annual rate of reduction. AARI = average annual rate of increase. a
For more on the methods behind the WHA stunting target, see de Onis et al. (2013). b
These are AARIs estimated by the writing team based on the last two available estimates for exclusive breastfeeding in UNICEF (2014e). Formal AARIs from UNICEF/ WHO are not available at this time. c
This figure is from UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2014). 16 GLOBAL NUTRITION REPORT 2014
2008– 2012
2012 38% 50% 2.11% AARI No
2008– 2012
2012 15% 7% 10% 7% 2.74% AARR No No 2011 29% 2012
Baseline status
162 million
Target for 2025
~100 million (~15% prevalence)
15%
Required global average annual rate of change
3.90% AARR
Globally on course? Comments
No
Current pace projects 130 million by 2025 (20% reduction)
5.20% AARR No
Very little move- ment (was 32% in 2000)
Little progress globally
Upward trajectory is unchecked
Rate was 37% in 2000, 41% in 2012
8% <5% No
No progress (was 8% global- ly in 2013)c
AARR is constant or decreasing: 50 countries
AARR is increasing: 51 countries
AARI is above or equal to required rate: 59 countriesb
AARI is below required rate: 48 countries
Rate of wasting is constant or decreasing: 76 countries
Rate of wasting is increasing: 51 countries (see Table 3.2)
Number of countries above and below required global rate of change
AARR is above or equal to required rate: 21 countries
AARR is below required rate: 89 countries
AARR is above or equal to required rate: 5 countries
AARR is below required rate: 180 countries
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