Skip to main content

Improved Nutrition Could Lessen Malaria Burden Worldwide

A large percentage of child deaths related to malaria are attributable to undernutrition and deficiencies of vitamin A, zinc, iron and folate, according to a new report by researchers with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Their review of recent data from malaria endemic regions showed that improving child nutrition could prevent more malaria-related illnesses and deaths than previously thought. Their paper appears in the August 2004 supplement to the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

"While undernutrition's role in exacerbating diarrheal disease and respiratory infections is well known, scientific evidence has been mixed regarding its role in malaria infection," explained lead author Laura E. Caulfield, PhD, an associate professor with the Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Human Nutrition. "Despite the fact that people have thought that undernutrition prevents malaria, the bulk of evidence suggests that undernutrition contributes significantly to the malaria burden."

Nearly 550,000 annual malaria deaths are attributable to underweight in children less than 5 years of age, according to global burden of disease data published earlier this year. The investigators looked at malaria morbidity and mortality risk due to underweight and specific micronutrient deficiencies in countries including

The Gambia, Vanuatu, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. While underweight children had only a slightly increased risk of a clinical malaria attack, the data on mortality risk in underweight children were dramatic. Mildly malnourished children were 2 times more like to die from malaria than children who are not undernourished, while moderately malnourished children were 4 times more likely to die. Severely malnourished children were 9 times more likely to die. While the risk of malaria mortality increases with the severity of undernutrition, most child deaths occur in only mildly to moderately undernourished children, because of the high prevalence of children of this nutritional status in many countries.

Widespread zinc and vitamin A deficiencies in malaria endemic regions contribute to growth faltering and compromise a child's ability to fight infection. Zinc improves growth and enhances the body's ability to respond to infection, and vitamin A plays an essential role in the immune response and is believed to be necessary for host resistance to malaria. Researchers stress that strategies to reduce the global malaria burden must include integrated nutrition programs that address growth faltering and improve the micronutrient status of young children.

"We still need more research to better understand the complex relationship between nutrition and malarial infection," Dr. Caulfield urged, "but the existing and emerging evidence strongly suggests that well-nourished children are better able to fight and survive malaria infection."

"Undernutrition as an underlying cause of malaria morbidity and mortality in children less than five years old" was written by Laura E. Caulfield, Stephanie A. Richard, and Robert E. Black.

Public Affairs media contact for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Human Nutrition: Kelly Blake at 443-287-5056 or kblake@jhsph.edu.

Public Affairs media contacts for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Tim Parsons or Kenna Lowe at 410-955-6878 or paffairs@jhsph.edu. Photographs of Laura Caulfield are available upon request.

Contact: Kenna L. Lowe
paffairs@jhsph.edu
410-955-6878
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Is too much soy bad for men?

While soy may be beneficial to women in a variety of ways, research in monkeys suggests that it could have an adverse effect on the behavior of men, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Reporting in the current issue of the scientific journal Hormones and Behavior, the researchers found that in male monkeys, "long-term consumption of a diet rich in soy isoflavones can have marked influences on patterns of aggression and social behavior." Isoflavones are a naturally occurring plant estrogen in soy protein. "Although considerable attention has been directed at the potentially beneficial effects of isoflavones in reducing the risk of various cancers, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and postmenopausal symptoms, less effort has been invested in characterizing neurobehavioral effects," according to the study.

Dietary modification could be a simple way to reduce the risk of stroke

Dietary modification could be a simple way to reduce the risk of stroke say researchers. The research shows a diet that consists of meats, refined grains and desserts is associated with a greater risk for stroke than a diet of fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes and whole grains. The study included dietary information on 71,768 female nurses between 38 and 63 years old. The women had no history of heart disease or diabetes. They completed questionnaires about their diet every few years for 14 years. Researchers tracked how many of the women had a stroke and then compared their diets. They rated the women's diets based on if they ate more of a Western diet or a prudent diet. During the follow-up, 791 women in the study had had a stroke. It was found that women who ate a Western diet vs. a prudent diet had a higher risk of developing a stroke . They say those who had the highest scores for a Western diet, meaning they mainly ate meat, refined grains and sweets, had a more than 50...

Food Commission UK publishes new guide to children's food

hildren deserve the best food and drink we can provide, but research shows that most children are eating a dangerously unbalanced diet, high in saturated fats, sugar and salt, and low in fruit and vegetables. More than one in five children are now overweight, and one in three children have tooth decay before they even begin primary school. A poor diet can mean poor concentration at school, and increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes in later life. The Food Commission Guide to Children's Food is designed to help parents and carers distinguish which children's foods are genuinely healthy, and to spot the unhealthy ingredients which lurk in many popular children's foods and drinks. The guide, published in poster format, explains that simply reading food labels and looking for added vitamins is not enough to protect children's health. Many food products are poorly labelled, and advertisers are happy to promote high fat, high sugar and high sa...