Endemic malaria, malnutrition and child deaths

Abstract

Past failures of nutrition programmes could lead to disillusionment among governments with nutritionists unless realistic targets are adopted. High child death rates are due to both infection and malnutrition, both causes of high general fertility rates. A nutrition programme in Zambia examined malarial infections and undemutrition as causes of death. Where malnutrition was diagnosed in youngest childen, significantly more siblings had died. However, positive malaria in the youngest child was associated with most sibling deaths; rates being always higher among children where it was detected. A reduction in malaria transmission is proposed as a more effective policy than any nutritional aim, other than that of increasing general food production. This would reduce death rates and population growth and increase the availability of family resources for each child.