Viewpoint: addressing the double-burden of malnutrition among children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Most undernourished people in Africa are in the sub-Saharan region, and hunger has been on the rise since 2014. The number of undernourished people is especially critical in the Eastern and Middle subregions, reaching 27% and 29% of the total population, respectively, as of 2019.1 Undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, however, are not the only nutrition concerns; in 2016, 24% of all overweight children under five in the world were also from Africa, with rates increasing among adolescents and young women. The state of malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa exemplifies the double burden of malnutrition, with a high prevalence of undernutrition and increasing obesity. Both conditions contribute to diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).2 At this rate, it is unlikely that the sub-Saharan Africa region will achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.