Exam 14: World Hunger and Food Insecurity: Challenges and Opportunities

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The four micronutrient deficiencies of particular concern are vitamin A deficiency,iron-deficiency anemia,iodine deficiency,and zinc deficiency.
Vitamin A deficiency
-An estimated 500,000 children become partially or totally blind as a result of insufficient vitamin A.
-Compromises the immune systems of approximately 40 percent of the developing world's children under five years old,leading to early death of an estimated one million children each year.
-More than 40 developing countries are now reaching 70 percent or more of their young children with at least one vitamin A supplement capsule every year.
-Efforts to date are estimated to be saving the lives of more than 300,000 young children annually and preventing many hundreds of thousands of cases of irreversible blindness.
Iron-deficiency anemia
-Iron-deficiency anemia in infancy and early childhood is associated with decreased cognitive abilities and resistance to disease.
-Iron deficiency in the 6- to 24-month age group impairs the mental development of 40-60% of the developing world's children.
-Severe cases cause the deaths of an estimated 50,000 young women a year during pregnancy and childbirth.
-Is so widespread in adults that it lowers the productivity of workforces.
-An international movement to fortify all wheat flour with iron and folic acid is beginning to gain momentum.
Iodine deficiency
-Is the major preventable cause of mental retardation worldwide.
-Worldwide,700 million people-especially in mountainous regions-are estimated to have goiter,while over 16 million suffer overt cretinism.
-Iodine deficiency in pregnancy causes as many as 20 million babies a year to be born mentally impaired.
-Has been halved from 30 to 15 percent due to sustained efforts to add iodine to two-thirds of the world's household salt.
Zinc deficiency
-Contributes to growth failure and weakened immunity in young children.
-Results in some 800,000 child deaths per year,including those related to diarrhea,pneumonia,and malaria.
-Research demonstrates the usefulness of zinc supplements in treating diarrhea and reducing diarrheal mortality by 50 percent.The WHO,along with UNICEF,has issued a statement recommending use of zinc for 10-14 days for all episodes of diarrhea among children under age 5;however,the recommendation has not yet been widely adopted.

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Answers will vary.Examples include supporting organizations that are helping to combat hunger;contacting political representatives to express concerns about hunger-related issues/legislation;supporting efforts of one's religious organization to feed the hungry;and making personal choices to conserve resources and use only what one needs,so as to leave more for others.