The State of Nutrition

Overview

A healthy diet is essential for our wellbeing; it can reduce the risk of chronic disease and enable us to live healthier and more active lives. Women and children are disproportionately affected by poor nutrition and are more likely to have worse health outcomes as a result. These can include things like diabetes, heart disease, stunted child growth and anaemia. [1]

Women who live and work in tea communities are particularly vulnerable to undernutrition, and this can cause a range of damaging effects, such as maternal and fetal mortality, diminished physical and mental ability, and increased vulnerability to infectious diseases. [2]

In addition, poor diets and ill health and can have an adverse effect on farmers’ incomes by limiting physical work capacity and lowering productivity. [3]

This factsheet uses references and data points from third party sources to shed light on the state of nutrition in Malawi, Kenya and Assam, India, where our Healthy Diets for Tea Communities programme runs. This programme works to improve the nutrition and health of tea workers and farmers where nutrition remains a significant health concern.

Malawi

Poverty is a key cause of food insecurity, and nearly 70% of the population were living below the poverty line in 2018. [4]  Adverse climate conditions also threaten food security and nutrition; between 1990 and 2002, Malawi experienced three famines because of drought. [5]

The Malawian diet relies heavily on just a few food items, including maize and starchy fruits and vegetables such as cassava, potatoes, and plantain. [6] Unvaried diets fail to ensure a good range of micro-nutrients, causing widespread micronutrient deficiencies which impact health. [7]   

The Nutrition for Growth Summit report estimated that Malawians consume just 40g of vegetables compared to the average global daily intake of 215g. [8]

Overall, health outcomes for women and children have been severely affected due to poor nutrition:

• 33-37% of children under five in tea regions are stunted. [9]
• 34% of women aged 15-49 years in tea regions are anaemic.
• 7% of women aged 15-49 years in tea regions are underweight.
• 22% of women aged 15-49 years in tea regions are overweight.

Kenya

Poverty and economic instability are among the leading causes of poor nutrition in Kenya. Over 35% of the population live below the poverty line, and it is estimated that 3.4 million Kenyans suffer from food insecurity. [10]

Poor nutrition in Kenya is causing widespread ill-health and accounts for roughly 40% of the risk factors that cause disease and mortality. [11]

Diets in Kenya are relatively low in fruit and vegetables and high in sugars and fats, leading to micronutrient deficiencies, high rates of obesity, and a rise in diabetes and heart disease. [12]

Gender inequality in household food distribution means that girls are more likely to suffer from malnutrition, stunting and infectious disease. [13]

• Undernourishment reportedly impacts 23% of the population. [14]
• Raised blood pressure is estimated to impact 26% of men and 26% of women. [15]
• 26% of children under five in Kenya are stunted.
• 27% of women aged 15-49 years in Kenya are anaemic.
• 12% of women aged 15-49 years in tea regions are underweight.
• 29% of women aged 15-49 years in tea regions are overweight. [16]
  

Assam, India

Poor nutrition significantly affects the health of families in rural areas, such as those where tea is grown, including Assam. Poverty contributes to poor nutrition, and 32% of households in Assam live below the poverty line. [17]

In Assam, consumption of fruit and vegetables is low and increasing numbers of people are eating processed foods high in fats and sugars. [18] The lowest earning groups in this region, which includes tea workers, spend less than 15% of their food spend on fruits and vegetables. [19]

Only 17.8% of children under 28 months have a balanced and diverse diet needed for a healthy life. [20] Inadequate diets have contributed to exceptionally high rates of anaemia among women, as well as other health concerns:

• 36% of children under five in Assam are stunted.
• 46% of women aged 15-49 years in Assam are anaemic.
• 26% of women aged 15-49 years in Assam are underweight.
• 13% of women aged 15-49 years in Assam are overweight. [21]

Sources

[1] https://www.gainhealth.org/about/malnutrition

[2] http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-5Reports/Assam.pdf

[3] https://www.gainhealth.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/increasing-tea-productivity-through-improved-nutrition-a-call-to-action-0.pdf

[4] World Bank, 2020. Available at: http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/home.aspx. Accessed: 7 May 2021

[5] http://www.fao.org/ag/agn/nutrition/mwi_en.stm

[6] UN FAO, idem

[7] UN FAO, idem

[8] Nutrition for Growth Initiative Summit, Global Nutrition report  https://globalnutritionreport.org/resources/nutrition-profiles/africa/eastern-africa/malawi/. Accessed 19 May 2021

[9] GAIN, Tea communities worldwide are affected by both undernutrition and overweight

[10] World Bank, Kenya Data https://data.worldbank.org/country/kenya Accessed 24 May 2021; US AID, Kenya Nutrition Profile https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1864/Kenya-Nutrition-Profile-Mar2018-508.pdf Accessed 11 May 2021

[11] GAIN, Kenya https://www.gainhealth.org/impact/countries/kenya Accessed 14 May 2021

[12] https://www.gainhealth.org/about/malnutrition

[13] https://www.gainhealth.org/impact/countries/kenya

[14] FAO Statistics Division, 2019. Food Security/Suite of Food Security Indicators. http://www.fao.org/sustainable-development-goals/indicators/211/en. Accessed 14 May 2021

[15] Nutrition for Growth Initiative Summit, Global Nutrition report  https://globalnutritionreport.org/resources/nutrition-profiles/africa/eastern-africa/malawi/. Accessed 19 May 2021 https://globalnutritionreport.org/resources/nutrition-profiles/africa/eastern-africa/kenya/

[16] GAIN, Tea communities worldwide are affected by both undernutrition and overweight

[17] World Bank, Assam Poverty Growth and Inequality https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/545361504000062662/pdf/119141-BRI-P157572-Assam-Poverty.pdf  Accessed 24 May 2021

[18] UNICEF India, Adolescent Nutrition https://www.unicef.org/india/what-we-do/adolescent-nutrition Accessed 19 May 2021; GAIN, India https://www.gainhealth.org/impact/countries/india Accessed 19 May 2021

[19]Transform Nutrition, Transforming the Food and Nutrition Landscape in Assam www.transformnutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/04/Assam_V2.pdf Accessed 24 May 2021

[20] ibid

[21] GAIN, Tea communities worldwide are affected by both undernutrition and overweight