National Income and Malnutrition in Africa: a Rapid Analysis

Full text: This paper aims determine the relationship between national income and income distribution indicators and malnutrition statistics in selected African countries. It follows a simple analysis of a static relationship between national income and income distribution and obesity/overweight and undernutrition. The relation between national income and malnutrition statistics is as expected. Countries that have higher income tend to have higher prevalence of obesity/overweight. The opposite relationship holds for undernutrition. Countries with higher income tend to have lower levels of undernutrition. However, this relationship is not very strong, with a correlation coefficient of less than 50% in both cases. This is because higher income does not guarantee good nutrition and that there is friction in the response of undernutrition to growth in GDP. As such, it is important to lobby governments to mainstream food and nutrition security in other initiatives that increase national income, especially as part of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN. This will ensure that high national income translates to reduction in malnutrition prevalence. (author)