Brazil cut stunting 80% compared to mid-70s; Brazil stunting prevalence now less than one-third of w
“Stunting among children aged under 5 years also dropped from 37.1% in 1974 to 7.1% in 2007." (WHA Global Nutrition Targets, 3) Brazil cut prevalence of stunting by 80 percent compared to the mid-seventies; currently, stunting prevalence in Brazil is less than one-third of the world average. SPI calculations: Brazil, 1974 = 37.1% Brazil, 2007 = 7.1% % change = ((7.1-37.1)/37.1)x100 = 80.8% [Since the mid-70s, Brazil has cut prevalence of stunting 80.8%] Stunting prevalence, Global, 2015 = 23.2% (data from Global Health Observatory) Stunting prevalence, Brazil, 2007 (latest year data is available) = 7.1% 7.1/23.2 = 0.306 [Brazil's current stunting prevalence is less than a third of the global prevalence] On stunting in general: "Because child stunting is a sensitive indicator of living conditions, we believe that the effectiveness of redistributive policies can be accurately assessed by studying the social distribution of child stunting over time.” (Monteiro et al.) “The MDG-1 calls for halving of the prevalence of child underweight between 1990 and 2015.7 The prevalence of underweight in Brazil fell from 5.6% in 1989 to 2.2% in 2006–07 (data not shown), or 61%. Thus, Brazil has already met the established goal. The corresponding reduction in the prevalence of stunting was 64%. (Monteiro et al.)
Source: World Health Organization, "WHA Global Nutrition Targets 2025: Stunting Policy Brief," 3, accessed October 5, 2015, http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/globaltargets_stunting_policybrief.pdf. WHO Global Health Observatory Data Repository, (Child Health, Nutrition, Joint child malnutrition estimates (UNICEF-WHO-WB), Global and regional trends by UN Regions, 1990-2025 Stunting: 1990-2025; accessed October 5, 2015), http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.NUTUNREGIONS?lang=en. World Health Organization, Carlos Augusto Monteiro et al., "Narrowing socioeconomic inequality in child stunting: the Brazilian experience, 1974–2007," Bulletin of the World Health Organization, December 8, 2009, accessed October 5, 2015, http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/4/09-069195/en/.