The fight against malnutrition

© UNICEF/Kyrgyzstan

The developing countries are faced with a crisis on two fronts: food prices skyrocketed in 2007/2008 and the food situation has deteriorated once more as a result of the economic crisis. We know from previous crises that food quality suffers above all and that this has long-term consequences for health.

Health, nutrition and development are all closely interlinked. One third of under-fives living in the developing countries are behind in their development. This is due to chronic malnutrition. These children are more likely to die prematurely because they are less able to fight off common infectious diseases. Their chances of financial success are also lower because their performance at school is often poor.

The ninth symposium being staged by the Medicus Mundi Switzerland network will be discussing experience and successful strategies for ensuring a nutrient-rich diet as part of comprehensive healthcare provision. There are several strategies for doing this, including enriching basic foodstuffs, supplying specific supplements (sprinkles) or providing comprehensive nutritional advice as part of healthcare provision.

The Swiss Health Cooperation Symposium

Discussing international cooperation and development policy. The Swiss Health Cooperation Symposium targets a broad spectrum of participants active at the na-tional or international level and is organized by Medicus Mundi Switzerland, Network Health for All, which comprises 46 Swiss agencies operating in the field of international health cooperation. The symposium is part of a long-term cooperation agreement with the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation SDC, which helps fund the event and provides support with the programming.

Contact: Martin Leschhorn Strebel