Child Acute Malnutrition and Mortality in Populations Affected by Displacement in the Horn of Africa, 1997–2009

John B. Mason, Jessica M. White, Linda Heron, Jennifer Carter, Caroline Wilkinson and Paul Spiegel
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John B. Mason: School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Jessica M. White: School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Linda Heron: School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Jennifer Carter: School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Caroline Wilkinson: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Case Postale 2500, CH-1211 Geneva 2 Dépôt, Switzerland
Paul Spiegel: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Case Postale 2500, CH-1211 Geneva 2 Dépôt, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2012, vol. 9, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: Drought and conflict in the Horn of Africa are causing population displacement, increasing risks of child mortality and malnutrition. Humanitarian agencies are trying to mitigate the impact, with limited resources. Data from previous years may help guide decisions. Trends in different populations affected by displacement (1997–2009) were analyzed to investigate: (1) how elevated malnutrition and mortality were among displaced compared to host populations; (2) whether the mortality/malnutrition relation changed through time; and (3) how useful is malnutrition in identifying high mortality situations. Under-five mortality rates (usually from 90-day recall, as deaths/10,000/day: U5MR) and global acute malnutrition (wasting prevalences, vs . 8%), but was not different between displaced and local populations. Agricultural populations showed increased U5MR when displaced, in contrast to pastoralist. U5MR rose sharply with increasing GAM, at different GAM thresholds depending on livelihood. Higher GAM cut-points for pastoralists than agriculturalists would better predict elevated U5MR (1/10,000/day) or emergency levels (2/10,000/day) in the Horn of Africa; cut-points of 20–25% GAM in pastoral populations and 10–15% GAM in agriculturalists are suggested. The GAM cut-points in current use do not vary by livelihood, and this needs to be changed, tailoring cut points to livelihood groups, to better identify priorities for intervention. This could help to prioritize limited resources in the current situation of food insecurity and save lives.

Keywords: malnutrition; refugees; humanitarian assistance; Africa; drought (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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