Effects of Malnutrition on Child Survival in China As Estimated by PROFILES

Key words: 
• PROFILES /
• Malnutrition /
• Vitamin A /
• Underweight

Abstract: Objective To estimate the benefits of reductions in underweight and Vitamin A deficiency forchild survival in China that might be expected as a result of lowering the prevalence of theseconditions. Methods Profiles, a process of nutrition policy analysis was used to quantify thefunctional consequences of malnutrition in terms of child survival. Results Underweight Theactual reduction in underweight between 1992 and 2001 (from 15.7% to the current 10.1%) resultedin saving of 176 000 child lives. As estimated, without improvements, 612 000 children will die due tounderweight between 2001 and 2010, 281 000 (46%) of them living in western provinces. Reducingunderweight prevalence from 10.1% to 8% could overall save 62 000 lives. The reduction ofunderweight prevalence in the west alone might save 56 000 lives. Vitamin A in China as a whole,vitamin A deficiency accounts, as estimated, for 7.5% of deaths of children 6-59 months old,representing 206 000 deaths over the past ten years. Halving the prevalence over the period wouldsave 49 000 child lives. The higher prevalence and higher mortality rates in western provinces meanthat even with only 28% of the Chinese population, over half of child deaths there are related tovitamin A.