Malnutrition : les remedes existent? L'experience de la Banque mondiale

Many poor countries are unable to meet the broad nutrition needs of their people, and their efforts to do so are often discredited as inappropriate or unaffordable. On the basis of experience of developing countries that have undertaken nutrition projects in collaboration with the World Bank, the author suggests efficacious, affordable ways to contend with the problem. He describes the characteristics, costs, and effects of four large nutrition projects and discusses more than fifty nutrition components that were incorporated into the design of agricultural, urban development, and health projects. The book also surveys World Bank supported research on nutrition and discusses the nutrition analyses in the World Bank's economic and sector work. The findings indicate that, although malnutrition is closely linked to a country's economic development, improvements in nutrition need not await the achievement of high economic growth. Gains can come from careful targeting of food subsidies, food supplementation programs, and nutrition education to those groups most at risk, especially poor women and children. At a time of economic stress and structural adjustment in many developing countries, these lessons provide insight into how food policy and nutrition programs can be carried out efficiently and how even in the short term vulnerable groups can be protected and can benefit from adjustment measures.