Malnutrition – CHAMPS Health
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BACKGROUND

Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a complex health condition that occurs when the body does not receive the right balance of nutrients. It can result from a deficiency, due to insufficient intake of essential vitamins, minerals, and calories, or from an excess, where there is overconsumption of calories or specific nutrients. This imbalance can lead to various health issues, including both acute (e.g., wasting) and chronic (e.g., stunting) protein-energy malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and even obesity. People with severe malnutrition are also at high-risk for life-threatening infections. Malnutrition remains a major global health challenge, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, particularly women and children in Africa and Asia. Globally, countries have committed to ending all forms of malnutrition by 2023, including internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting among children under five years of age (Sustainable Development Goal 2.2)

Quick Facts

Malnutrition remains a critical challenge, with millions of children suffering from severe wasting, stunting, and overweight. CHAMPS is addressing this huge burden in Africa and Asia by implementing innovative, data-driven strategies to improve nutrition in vulnerable communities, saving lives and creating a healthier future for children. 

Impact Counter

0 m+

people worldwide are undernourished.

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0 m+

children under 5 affected by stunting

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0 %

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of nearly half of deaths in children under five.

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0 .5 trillion ($)

The global cost of malnutrition is estimated to be up to $3.5 trillion per year.

STUDY SITES

amCharts Map – Optimized Timing

METHODS

How CHAMPS measures malnutrition

Postmortem hemoglobin

Micronutrient biomarker testing of liver and serum to measure:

Liver Vitamin A

Liver iron/zinc

Inlammation

Serum vitamin A

Serum B12

Serum folate

Serum iron

Pregnancy Surveillance

Recent Data

Malnutrition based on postmortem anthropometry in infant and child deaths (1–59 months) across the network

Total BD(n=2922) ET(n=3363) KE(n=1733) ML(n=1802) MZ(n=2838) NG-B(n=46) NG-CR(n=254) PK(n=668) SL(n=1826) ZA(n=1743)
Underweight 6093 932 1039 851 470 845 17 96 95 702 1046
Stunting 5095 784 928 597 384 934 19 69 90 466 824
Wasting 2971 293 394 639 245 294 4 68 42 560 431
Any malnutrition 7602 1048 1264 1082 576 1172 22 133 120 906 1278

Malnutrition (based on postmortem anthropometry) contributes to XX% of under-5 deaths

Category Total BD ET KE NG-B NG-CR ML MZ SL ZA
Stillbirth/Death in first 24 hours (n=5123) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neonates (n=2311) 12 0 4 1 0 0 2 4 1 0
Infant/Child (n=2421) 606 6 124 169 0 2 56 56 150 30
Total (n=9855) 618 6 128 170 0 2 58 60 151 30

Figure. Burden of anemia and severe anemia in deaths 0-59 months

Indicator

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Figure. Widespread vitamin A deficiency based on gold-standard liver retinol with concerns of age-specific vitamin A excess or toxicity in certain countries (n=320) (Deficient ≤0.1 μmol/g, Adequate >0.1 to <0.7 μmol/g, High  ≥0.7 to <1.0, hypervitaminosis  ≥1.0) (preliminary results). Similar results published in Gupta et al., 2024.

  • Reference

    Hepatic Vitamin A Concentrations and Association with Infectious Causes of Child Death

    Priya Mehta-Gupta Das
    Network-wide (all sites)
    The Journal of Pediatrics
    2024
    Download
    Gupta, P. M., Madewell, Z. J., Gannon, B. M., Grahn, M., Akelo, V., Onyango, D., Mahtab, S., Madhi, S. A., Giri, J., Blau, D. M., Ramakrishnan, U., Stein, A. D., Whitney, C. G., Young, M. F., Tanumihardjo, S. A., & Suchdev, P. S. (2024). Hepatic Vitamin A Concentrations and Association with Infectious Causes of Child Death. The Journal of Pediatrics, 265, 113816. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.113816

    • Figure. Prevalence of anemia by trimester in CHAMPS pregnancy surveillance in Ethiopia and Kenya (using venous blood measured by HemoCue201+; adjusted for altitude per WHO guidance and using trimester-specific cutoffs) (preliminary results)

    Ethiopia
    Kenya

    Figure. Malnutrition (based on postmortem anthropometry) contributes to 40% of under-5 deaths and is associated with a 2.4-fold higher risk of infectious mortality

  • Reference

    Contribution of malnutrition to infant and child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

    Zachary J Madewell
    Network-wide (all sites)
    BMJ Global Health
    2024
    Download
    Madewell, Z. J., Keita, A. M., Das, P. M.-G., et al. (2024). Contribution of malnutrition to infant and child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. BMJ Global Health, 9, e017262. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2024-017262

    • Figure. Alarming high rates of neural tube defects in Ethiopia, linked to widespread folate deficiency

    Click the coloured filters to see breakdowns by country

  • Reference

    Neural tube defects as a cause of death among stillbirths, infants, and children younger than 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia: an analysis of the CHAMPS network

    Lola Madrid, et al
    Network-wide (all sites)
    The Lancet Global Health
    2023
    Download
    Madewell, Z. J., Keita, A. M., Das, P. M.-G., et al. (2024). Contribution of malnutrition to infant and child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. BMJ Global Health, 9, e017262. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2024-017262

    • Case Examples

    Case Studies


    Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling in Adult Populations

    View Protocol


    View CHAMPS summarized child mortality data, updated in real time, and request access to our datasets.

    View Live Data