Malnutrition leading cause of death and ill health worldwide – report

David Nabarro, special representative of the UN secretary general for food security, said the report, written before the coronavirus pandemic, had a “heightened significance” and warned: “There is a real risk that, as nations strive to control the virus, the gains they have made in reducing hunger and malnutrition will be lost.” In a foreword, Nabarro says that undernourished people may be more at risk to coronavirus, due to weakened immune systems, while obesity and diabetes were linked to worse outcomes. The medical costs of treating the consequences of obesity are “staggering”, the report says, at an estimated total bill of .2tn ayear by 2025, with the US by far the biggest spender. Rosenzweig urged governments and policymakers to “seize the moment” to create equal and sustainable food and health systems in the wake of the pandemic. The interface between the food supply chain andconsumers is inequitable.” “The crisis has highlighted the need to look at malnutrition in all its forms seriously, and we believe it can be done in tandem with tackling the pandemic.”