The Relationship between Nutrition and Health: The Present Situation in Africa

Frohberg, H. (1978). The Relationship between Nutrition and Health: The Present Situation in Africa. IIASA Research Memorandum. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: RM-78-072

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Abstract

Africa is a continent where hunger (= undernutrition in energy and protein) is still a major problem. The aim of this report is to find the target countries in Africa of which the population is most likely to be undernourished or even starving. For this purpose, the African countries are arranged into five categories according to the nutritional status of each country. The main criterion for adequate nourishment is the fulfillment of the minimum energy and protein requirements, which are estimated by studying the population distribution. From this classification, the following results are obtained:

17% of the countries have excess caloric supplies;

20% have available more than 90% of their requirement, with an adequate supply of protein;

25% are deficient in calories but adequate in protein;

10% are deficient in protein but adequate in calories, and the remaining

6% are deficient in both protein and calories.

The diets in Egypt, Cameroon, Mali, Congo and Zaire, each of which is representative of one of the above mentioned categories, are examined for their composition of essential nutrients, i.e. calories, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. The nutritional situation of a particular country is compared with its morbidity and mortality rates. The result of this investigation is that protein deficiency alone is not the major nutritional problem of the African continent. The problem is rather that there is not sufficient food available to fulfill the energy requirements.

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