The cost of malnutrition affects every country in the world
Yearly cost USD 3.5Trillion
Return on investment 16X
Cost in Africa upto 20%
500 percapita pr upto 16%
“In Africa there is an average loss of 11% of gross domestic product (GDP). In some countries this can be up to 20%. Countries could be losing billions. Unfortunately, this does not ring any (warning) bells with policymakers,” he added.
Malnutrition imposes significant costs on countries through:
- Reduced productivity and economic output due to diminished physical and cognitive capabilities.
- Increased healthcare expenses for treating malnutrition-related illnesses and disabilities.
- Educational setbacks such as school absenteeism and grade repetition due to health issues.
- Higher mortality rates and shorter life expectancy leading to lost human capital and increased dependency ratios.
- Long-term impacts like stunting and impaired intellectual capacity, affecting future generations’ potential contributions to society.
These factors collectively contribute to a substantial economic and social toll, highlighting the importance of addressing malnutrition comprehensive.
While we can fairly accurately estimate the direct costs such as healthcare expenses, lost productivity, and educational setbacks, it’s much harder to measure the opportunity cost and the unrealized potential that results from malnutrition.The extra capacity for production and prosperity that could have been achieved if individuals were adequately nourished is indeed challenging to quantify. This includes factors like:
- Missed economic contributions: Malnourished individuals may not reach their full potential in terms of skills, creativity, and innovation, leading to missed opportunities for economic growth and development.
- Lost human capital: Malnutrition can prevent individuals from fully participating in the workforce or pursuing higher education, leading to a loss of human capital that could have contributed significantly to various sectors of the economy.
- Reduced resilience and adaptability: Well-nourished populations are generally more resilient and adaptable to challenges, allowing for greater economic stability and growth even in adverse conditions.
Considering these aspects highlights the complex and far-reaching impact of malnutrition on a country’s overall capacity for production, prosperity, and sustainable development.
Let’s calculate the cost of malnutrition in your scenario
Yo canuse this calculator to calcualte the cost of malnutrition for a sector of a population in a given country , within those selected that actually suffer this problem. You can chose to calculate the value for the whole country or por a fraction of the population considering the contextual circumsatnce for that given location.