Tabet løber op i fem procent af den østafrikanske nations samlede økonomiske årsresultat (BNP) og regeringen i Kampala er dybt bekymret over konklusionerne i et nyt studie – det første i sin art.
KAMPALA, 18 June, 2013 (WFP): Uganda loses some 899 million US dollar (knapt fem milliarder DKR) annually in lost productivity due to the effects of widespread malnutrition. This is the alarming finding of a new study, which for the first time measures the economic burden of hunger on the continent.
Uganda is the first of 12 countries in the region to announce its findings, wrtes WFP in a press release.
The “Cost of Hunger in Africa” study estimated that Uganda loses around 5,6 per cent of its gross domestic product (BNP) – as a result of workers getting sick more often and being less productive because they lacked the right nutrition as children.
The study estimated that child mortality associated to under nutrition reduced Uganda’s labour force by 3,8 per cent. This represents over 943 million working hours lost due to an absent workforce brought about by early deaths. This alone cost Uganda 317 million dollar annually.
“These are extremely worrying findings,” said Prime Minister Amama Mbazi, whose government played a central role in the Uganda part of the study.
He said that steady economic growth in Uganda in recent years was not enough to to address stunting (lav højde /manglende trivsel hos børn og unge) and other costly impacts of a poor diet (kost).
Uganda urgently needs to invest in nutrition-oriented measures and policies to ensure economic savings for the country and its families alike, the Prime Minister added.
Cost of Hunger
The findings in Uganda were the first to emerge from the Cost of Hunger in Africa report.
The study has been carried out in 12 countries across the region with the support of the African Union Commission, a body which includes the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and WFP.
According to the report, malnourished children dropping out or underperforming at school subtracts (tapper) around 116 million dollar from an economy in need of educated workers. Lower productivity in sectors such as agriculture cost Uganda another 201 million per year.
The country spends around 254 million dollar per year treating cases of diarrhoea, anaemia (blodmangel) and respiratory infections linked to malnutrition. Enough children die each year of causes related to hunger to reduce Uganda’s labor force by some 3,8 per cent.
Critical nutrients (ernæringsstoffer)
Læs videre på
http://www.wfp.org/stories/malnutrition-costs-uganda-5-cent-gdp
Kilde: FNs Verdensfødevareprogram (WFP)
