Iraq Is Moving Forward to Achieve Global Targets in Nutrition
From the 1990s and after 2003, Iraq suffered many difficulties which affected its population negatively in different ways; from embargo to political instabilities, conflicts, and wars, collectively leading to food insecurity especially among the internally displaced people. The Ministry of Health an...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-02-01
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Series: | Children |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/9/2/215 |
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author | Hind Khalid Sabeeh Saadulddin Hussein Ali Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh |
author_facet | Hind Khalid Sabeeh Saadulddin Hussein Ali Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh |
author_sort | Hind Khalid Sabeeh |
collection | DOAJ |
description | From the 1990s and after 2003, Iraq suffered many difficulties which affected its population negatively in different ways; from embargo to political instabilities, conflicts, and wars, collectively leading to food insecurity especially among the internally displaced people. The Ministry of Health and International Organizations worked collectively to improve the nutritional situation among the most vulnerable groups: children under five, and women in reproductive age. This study aims to review the nutrition situation for Iraq in relation to the Global Nutrition Targets and for Sustainable Development Goals. The data used for comparison was obtained from nationally representative surveys conducted in Iraq from 1996 to 2018, including urban and rural areas for all 18 governorates. Results of these surveys showed a gradual decline in undernutrition indicators for children under five, and an emergence of overweight and obesity, indicating an urgent need for collective action from all sectors and related Ministries regarding malnutrition in its different forms. It also revealed a decline in the prevalence of anemia among the targeted women, but an increase of low birth weight in newborn infants. Exclusive breastfeeding though, is still staggering and in need of urgent action. Iraq is transferring from a generalized state of insecurity to a more secure one, emphasizing the need to strengthen systems for efficient monitoring and evaluation. There is also a need for more recent surveys representing Iraq, as the available data is scant, particularly dietary intake studies within the normal population and internally displaced families in camps or scattered shelters. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:18:10Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-59ed2228aa0f4352b0693fc2c3b1c0f1 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2227-9067 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:18:10Z |
publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
publisher | MDPI AG |
record_format | Article |
series | Children |
spelling | doaj.art-59ed2228aa0f4352b0693fc2c3b1c0f12023-11-23T19:19:22ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672022-02-019221510.3390/children9020215Iraq Is Moving Forward to Achieve Global Targets in NutritionHind Khalid Sabeeh0Saadulddin Hussein Ali1Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh2World Health Organization (WHO), Baghdad 10025, IraqIraqi Ministry of Health, Nutrition Research Institute, Baghdad 10025, IraqRegional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO), World Health Organization (WHO), Cairo 7608, EgyptFrom the 1990s and after 2003, Iraq suffered many difficulties which affected its population negatively in different ways; from embargo to political instabilities, conflicts, and wars, collectively leading to food insecurity especially among the internally displaced people. The Ministry of Health and International Organizations worked collectively to improve the nutritional situation among the most vulnerable groups: children under five, and women in reproductive age. This study aims to review the nutrition situation for Iraq in relation to the Global Nutrition Targets and for Sustainable Development Goals. The data used for comparison was obtained from nationally representative surveys conducted in Iraq from 1996 to 2018, including urban and rural areas for all 18 governorates. Results of these surveys showed a gradual decline in undernutrition indicators for children under five, and an emergence of overweight and obesity, indicating an urgent need for collective action from all sectors and related Ministries regarding malnutrition in its different forms. It also revealed a decline in the prevalence of anemia among the targeted women, but an increase of low birth weight in newborn infants. Exclusive breastfeeding though, is still staggering and in need of urgent action. Iraq is transferring from a generalized state of insecurity to a more secure one, emphasizing the need to strengthen systems for efficient monitoring and evaluation. There is also a need for more recent surveys representing Iraq, as the available data is scant, particularly dietary intake studies within the normal population and internally displaced families in camps or scattered shelters.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/9/2/215food insecuritymicronutrientindicatorsGlobal Nutrition Targetsexclusive breastfeedinginternally displaced |
spellingShingle | Hind Khalid Sabeeh Saadulddin Hussein Ali Ayoub Al-Jawaldeh Iraq Is Moving Forward to Achieve Global Targets in Nutrition Children food insecurity micronutrient indicators Global Nutrition Targets exclusive breastfeeding internally displaced |
title | Iraq Is Moving Forward to Achieve Global Targets in Nutrition |
title_full | Iraq Is Moving Forward to Achieve Global Targets in Nutrition |
title_fullStr | Iraq Is Moving Forward to Achieve Global Targets in Nutrition |
title_full_unstemmed | Iraq Is Moving Forward to Achieve Global Targets in Nutrition |
title_short | Iraq Is Moving Forward to Achieve Global Targets in Nutrition |
title_sort | iraq is moving forward to achieve global targets in nutrition |
topic | food insecurity micronutrient indicators Global Nutrition Targets exclusive breastfeeding internally displaced |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/9/2/215 |
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