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Child undernutrition costs Burkina Faso US$802 million a year
24.06.2015 08:02 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
The West African country of Burkina Faso loses more than US$800 million annually due to child undernutrition, UN Radio reports referring to the Cost of Hunger in Africa study launched on Tues by several partners including the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
The study says increased healthcare costs, additional burdens on the educational system and lower workforce productivity are behind this loss.
As to the report, the study covers 12 countries and shows that undernutrition is not just a health issue, but has broader social and economic implications.
It finds that in Burkina Faso, more children today suffer from stunting than a decade ago.
Reportedly, stunting-or low height for age-occurs when a child misses out on critical nutrients while in the womb and in the first two years of life and it can cause lifelong consequences, including frequent illness, poor school performance and having to repeat classes or even drop out of school altogether.
«In addition, more than half of the countrys adult population was affected by stunting in their childhood. This represents over 4.7 million people of working age who are not able to reach their full potential,» Elisabeth Byrs, WFP spokesperson in Geneva, admits.
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