Ethiopia: situation analysis for Transform Nutrition

Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in Africa, at nearly 84 million. Approximately 14% are children under five years of age (Central Statistics Agency 2007). These children and their mothers suffer disproportionately from the poor health and nutrition situation in the country. In fact, malnutrition is the underlying cause of 57% of child deaths in Ethiopia (SCUK 2009), with some of the highest rates of stunting and underweight in the world. As for women in the country, over a quarter had a low body mass index (BMI) (<18.5) in 2005; nearly one third among women 15-19 years of age. Contributing factors to undernutrition include widespread poverty, limited employment opportunities, poor infrastructure, high population pressure, low education levels, inadequate access to clean water and sanitation, high rates of migration and poor access to health services (Getahun 2001, Bhutta 2008). Without increased efforts to improve the nutrition status of vulnerable groups such as mothers and children under two years old, Ethiopia risks falling short of reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halving underweight and reducing child mortality by two-thirds by 2015.