Food Security Outlook in Africa to 2025
Child Malnutrition in Africa
Projections from: Looking Ahead: Long-Term Prospects for Africa’s Agricultural Development and Food Security (unless otherwise noted) International Food Policy Research Institute
August 2005
- Child malnutrition, an important indicator of food insecurity, has steadily increased in Africa over the past 30 years, from approximately 27 percent in the 1970s to over 33 percent in recent years (InterAcademy Council 2004).
- The number of malnourished children in Africa could increase by 3.3 million over the next two decades, according to IMPACT projections.
- IMPACT found that policies and investments that improve agriculture, nutrition, and food security could cut the percentage of malnourished children under five years old by nearly half from 32.8 percent in 1997 to 16.9 percent in 2015. This outcome would enable Africa to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing the percentage of malnourished children in half by 2015.
- If current trends continue, the number of malnourished children in Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to increase, particularly in northern Sub-Saharan Africa. Projections are brighter in West Asia/North Africa with a decrease of 2.3 million by 2025.
- Under the pessimistic assumption, dwindling investments and sluggish policy reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa weaken agricultural productivity and cause child malnutrition to proliferate. As a result, child malnutrition is expected to increase in Sub-Saharan Africa by 22.4 million, and by 2.2 million in West Asia/North Africa in 2025.
- With greater investments in agricultural productivity, education, and clean water over the next two decades, the number of malnourished children in Sub-Saharan Africa could decrease by 23.3 million, from 32.7 million in 1997 to 9.4 million in 2025.