Policies Aimed at Health-related Causes of Undernutrition

Text extracted from:

The World Food Problem

Leathers & Foster, 2004

http://www.lastfirst.net/images/product/R004548.jpg

Director General of World Health Organization, 1989

• “ If we could increase the health spending in the developing countries by only $2 per head,

• we could immunize all their children,

• eradicate polio, and provide the drugs to cure all their causes of diarrheal disease,

• acute respiratory infection, tuberculosis, malaria, schistosomiasis

• and sexually transmitted diseases.”

       

               

http://www.who.sk/obr/nakajima.jpg

Hiroshi Nakajima

Policies promoting low cost health for the poor

• Good health promotes good nutrition

• Good nutrition promotes good health

• Cheaper to maintain good health– Than to try to cure sick people

• Low cost health for poor– Barefoot doctors in China– Nutrition huts in Philppines– Health huts in Haiti

Barefoot Doctors, China

http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/English/20021/1960nian.htm

U.S. Public Health Policies

• 1840s: modern sewage systems

• 1900s: Drinking water

• 1923: Salt fortified – Iodine

• 1940: Flour fortified – Iron

– Thiamin

– Riboflavin

– Niacin

http://www.ames.lib.ia.us/farwell/publication/Pub6940.htm

Marston Water Tower, 1897

Subsidizing Maternal and Child Health Services

• 1974: less than 5% children in developing world immunized against– Measles– Tetanus– Diphtheria– Pertussis– Tuberculosis– Polio

• Today: 80% immunized due to government policies– Ex: World Health Organization

• 36 million infants/yr not immunized

                              

http://maconareaonline.com/news.asp?id=14271

Maternal and Child Health Centers

• Immunization– Including hepatitis B, yellow fever

• Vitamin distribution– Vitamin A pills cost 5 cents to make

• Monitor Child Development

• Oral Rehydration Therapy

• Promote Breast Feeding

• Nutrition Education

• Family Planning

http://www.new-agri.co.uk/image/043/dev01b.jpg

Maternal Health Center, Malawi

Problems with Baby Formula

• Water supply contaminated with human excrement

• Household hygiene poor– Flies

– Feces

• No refrigerator

• Wood stove, little fuel

• No equipment to clean bottle

• Uneducated mother– No knowledge of germs

http://www.emag.uni-bremen.de/emag/2004/projects/wterprob/my%20home.html

Public Water Case Study

• Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 1976• 50% of municipal water

supply leaked out– Few shut off valves– Little incentive to conserve

• Direct service to 150,000 relatively wealthy

• 400,000 poor supposed to use 27 public stand pipeshttp://www.paho.org/English/DPI/100/100feature25_photos.htm

Public Water Pump, Port-au-Prince

Public Water Case Study

• Extreme water scarcity solutions:– 40,000 people relied on

leaks in pipes

– 95,000 more wealthy people shared with neighbors

– 300,000 bought water through private vendors

Port-au-Prince

http://www.ehponline.org/docs/1994/102-12/focus1.html

Public Water Case Study

• Private Water Market– Tanker trucks

• Filled up free at hydrants

– 2,000 connected households • sold water to neighbors

– 14,000 people were mobile vendors

• Bought water from connected households

• Delivered to customers– 2 cents a bucket

http://www.wehaitians.com/haitian%20suffering.html

Port-au-Prince

Public Water Case Study

• Private Water Market– Customers paid out $3.8

million/year– Municipal Water Authority

earned $650,000/yr

• Family of 5 would pay $4/month for 11 litres/day– 40% of families earned

$20/month or less– Poorest purchased water

only for drinking• Bathed in surface runoff

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/exhibitions/geographical/fossez.asp

Port-au-Prince