The continued large flow of destitute Haitian immigrants over the border with Haiti impacts Dominican health statistics. Notwithstanding, recent United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report indicates that the prevalence of undernourishment in the Dominican Republic has declined to 9.5%. Carmen Gallardo, FAO representative, says the decline is indicative that the country could reach the objective of Zero Hunger if work continues in this area. In 2004-06, 24.4% of the country was suffering from hunger and malnutrition.
According to a new report by the United Nations, some 9.5% of the Dominican population living in 2018, or 1.3 million people, are undernourished. Other indicators are 3.7% prevalence of wasting in children under 5 years, 7.1% prevalence of stunting in children under 5 years, 7.6% prevalence of overweight in children under 5 years, 11.3% prevalence of low birthweight.
The study showed that exclusive breastfeeding has significantly declined, from 8% in 2012 to 4.6% in 2018.
The report also shows that the DR, in the same way as other countries in the region, is experiencing an increase in obesity and overweight people. Obesity has increased from 23.5% to 26.9% of the adult population (over 18 years of age), around 1.9 million people.
The report, “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2019” was presented by the World Heath Organization, the FAO, the World Food Program (WFP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
According to the report, more than 820 million people in the world are still hungry today, underscoring the immense challenge of achieving the Zero Hunger target by 2030. Hunger is rising in almost all subregions of Africa and, to a lesser extent, in Latin America and Western Asia. Of these people, 11.3% are in Asia, 19.9% in Africa and 6.5% in Latin American and the Caribbean.
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Al Momento
Unicef
16 July 2019