Nutritional insecurity (The Statesman)

The Statesman (India) published an article on malnutrition and its long-term effects. Malnutrition has an irreversible effect on health and human development. The initial 1,000 days of one’s lifespan, from the day of conception till he/she turns two years of age, are considered as a critical ‘window of opportunity’ when poor nutrition can result in stunted growth, diminished immune response, impaired intellectual ability, poor school performance and lower economic productivity. The notion that poverty causes malnutrition dates back at least to Adam Smith and income is still the main explanatory variable IFPRI estimates that because of the Covid-19 pandemic an additional 140 million people will be thrown into living in extreme poverty (income less than US$1.90 per day) in 2020 globally.