World Hunger Series 2006

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• World Hunger Series 2006
• Hunger and Learning
• Paul Howe, Policy Adviser
• United Nations World Food Programme
• November 20, 2006

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• The global hunger situation
• Hungers impact on learning
• Learnings impact on hunger
• Hunger, learning and national development
• The way forward

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• The global hunger situation

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The simple story ...

• Some progress has been made overall
• Undernourished 823.1 million in 1990 to 820.2
  million in 2006 in the developing world
• Underweight 162.2 million in 1990 to 146 million
  in 2006
• But not enough to meet the Millennium Development
  Goals
• Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of
  people who suffer from hunger

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Hunger indicatorsworsening in some countries
Source WFP 2006
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Hunger is related to a number of issuesbut
learning is one of the most important
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• Problems with hunger and learning
• exist across the world

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• 2. Hungers impact on learning

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Undernutrition damages neuron networks in
childrens brains
Neuron from severely undernourished child
Neuron from normal child
Source Monckeberg 2004 (?)
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Iodine deficiencies in early childhoodhave
lasting impacts on intelligence
Source Ma and others 1994
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Hunger also limits learningat school age and in
adulthood

• Hunger at school age
• Lowers attendance at school
• Makes it hard to concentrate
• May cause further damage
• Hunger in adulthood
• Lowers attendance at training
• Makes it hard to concentrate
• Does not cause further long-term damage to mental
  capacity

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• 3. Learnings impact on hunger

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Stimulation in early childhood affects the
growth of the brain
Extremely abandoned
Source Monckeberg 2004 (?)
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Stimulation leads to higher IQseven in the long
run
Source Grantham-McGregor and others 1994
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Female learning at school age (and adulthood)is
correlated with better child nutrition
Source WFP 2006
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• 4. Hunger, learning and
• national development

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Reduced hunger and improved learningexpand
peoples opportunities

• At the individual level, people can
• Take on more fulfilling work
• Read books
• Participate in local council meetings
• Care better for loved ones and the next
  generation
• At an aggregate level, expanded opportunities and
  choices for millions

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Hunger and learning reduce economic growth
through two pathways
Undernutrition
Limited learning
Nutritional damage
Mental damage
Small stature
Ill-health
Less schooling
Less capacity
Less human capital
Weaker human engine
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• 5. The way forward

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Five basic steps for addressing hunger at the
national level
Prepare situation analysis (understanding needs
and making an inventory of existing programmes
and services)
Formulate strategic plan
Monitor
Mobilise resources
Implement
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Knowledge tree identifiesthe right
interventions for hunger and learning
Micronutrientsupplementation/fortification
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Food fortificationcan improve birthweight
Source Shrimpton and others 2003
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Political choices are difficult but can be
influenced
Frankly, we haveother priorities

• Stress that improvement in child growth can be
  achieved in two years while they are still in
  office
• Commission opinion research among the clients
  themselves
• Ensure that regular reports about the programme
  appear in the media

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Economic choices are difficultbut benefits often
outweigh costs
We cannot afford these kinds of interventions
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Dramatic improvements are possible the case of
child mortality in Chile
Source Monckeberg 2005
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Key messages from the report

• Hunger damages mental ability yet learning can
  help address hunger
• Hungry children must be reached early, but
  targeted inteventions needed throughout life
  cycle
• There are challenges, but solutions can be found
• National governments must make the political
  commitment to act, but require the full support
  of the international community