What is malnutrition?

Dubai: Malnutrition can mean not getting enough food or not getting the right food — but both lead to dangerous and deadly consequences. It is the largest single contributor to disease according to the United Nations.

Dangerously low weights, stunted height in correlation to age, low vitamin and mineral are common problems.

And it’s particularly dangerous during childhood, leading to poor mental and physical development.

Children with malnutrition are highly vulnerable to other diseases. Deadly diarrhea is comon — even measles or other regular infections can cause death.

According to Unicef, one child in three under the age of five is malnourised in the developing countries.

In Yemen, women are particularly at risk because they generally are eating less, live in areas with little water, poor sanifation and are culturally reluctant to breastfeed their children.

Malnutrition is particular dangerous for pregnant women. If the mother isn’t getting the nutrition she needs, neither is her baby. This impacts the development of the baby in the womb and the baby is more likely to be born underweight. And underweight babies are more prone to respiratory, intestinal and heart problems.