Food for thought from malnutrition statistics

At a time when Sustainable Development is very much in the news, we consider it most apposite to focus on some very unpalatable facts on malnutrition in South Asia which are unlikely to go down too well with governments in this part of the world. As disclosed in our front page news report on the subject, child malnutrition in South Asia is as high as 46 percent, whereas even in Sub-Saharan Africa the corresponding rate is 26 percent.

As a World Bank, UNICEF and South Asia Food and Nutrition Security Initiatives forum held in Nepal recently revealed, more than one-third of all child deaths in South Asia are caused by malnutrition. The latter is the single biggest cause of child mortality in this region and is the trigger to a range of childhood disabilities and debilitating conditions. Besides being underweight and stunted, malnourished children are prone to a number of diseases. Thus, it could be seen that there is more than meets the eye in the socio-economic landscape of South Asia.

There is considerable consolation for Sri Lanka in the form of the disclosure that breastfeeding is highest in Sri Lanka in this region and the inference could very well be drawn that Sri Lanka is relatively free of the numerous scourges economic hardship brings for the denizens of this region. Nevertheless, the statistics on malnutrition and kindred health and social blights should remind the SAARC region that much needs to be done by way of development.

Over the past few days we have argued in favour of Sustainable Development and these disquieting disclosures on the nutritional status of South Asia's children constitute the proof that we are right in our advocacy of this ideal of development. In sum, Sustainable Development is all about ensuring that we have equitable growth coupled with judicious use of natural resources. Growth, to be meaningful, that is, should be equally distributed while being protective of the earth's resources. A growth model that is not sensitive to equity and the judicious use of natural resources cannot conduce towards development in the truest sense of the word.

Therefore, South Asia's political and social elites need to pause more than a while and ponder on where they are heading in terms of development. Problems such as malnutrition are the direct results of poverty and the lack of economic equity. The more knowledgeable of observers now know for a fact that this region leaves very much to be desired on the question of redistributive justice or the equal distribution of wealth. While per capita income could be considerable among many of our countries, this does not necessarily mean that we are having economic equity in a very substantial sense.

Thus, poverty and redistributive justice are remaining huge challenges for the SAARC region. Inasmuch as the performance of individual economies of this region must be assessed critically, the question of whether SAARC is living up to the ideals expected of it, to at least a degree, needs to be searchingly analyzed. The reality needs to be addressed frankly that very many countries of this region favour very fat defence budgets over social welfare bursaries. For many states, 'guns' are preferable to 'rice' and the unsettling result of this choice could be malnourished populations. Besides, there is big power military involvement in some of our states which is preventing them from addressing their social needs. This external factor too is predisposing some states to have huge military budgets. If these powers leave South Asia alone, our development prospects could be brighter.

It is our considered opinion that the political and social elites of this region need to do a lot of soul-searching on the issue of whether they are living far too opulently, extravagantly and unconscionably. We in Sri Lanka could be glad that the principal pillars of the welfare state system have been left standing in this country over the years, although neo-liberal economic policies have been permitted to aggravate economic inequalities to a degree. Yet, it is of some relief that the principal political parties of this country are currently addressing the issue Parliament exercising greater supervisory control over public finances. There seems to be a growing consensus over the political divide in this country that new Parliamentary watch dog bodies need to be brought into being for the purpose of ensuring accountability in the use of the tax payers' money.

Still, SAARC should forge ahead collectively and concertedly towards development in the face of unsettling realities, such as, increasing pauperization of the masses. SAARC was brought into being way back in 1985 and the thought is quite disturbing that nothing much could be shown by way of regional prosperity. A fresh, collective South Asian resolve seems to be needed in the direction of regional development, correctly understood.