Background: The G5 Sahel countries (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) face challenges in responding to childhood malnutrition. Data on prevalence of malnutrition in the region is sparse lending program targeting and benchmarking difficult for the region. Here, we analysed data from five Demographic and Health surveys conducted in the G5 Sahel to estimate the pooled prevalence of chronic and acute malnutrition among children aged 6 to 59 months.
Methods: Using data from Demographic and Health Surveys between 2006 and 2016, we calculated a pooled estimate prevalence of height-for-age Z-score(haz), weight-for-height Z-score(whz) and weight-for-age Z-score (waz) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random effects model. Following WHO standards, wasting was defined as whz<-2 z-score, stunting as haz <-2 z-score and underweight as waz<-2 z-score. Sensitivity analyses was performed to examine outliers. Publication Bias was assessed with Doi plot and asymmetry was evaluated with LFK index.
Results: A total of four surveys met our criteria, with no surveys from Mauritania. Significant heterogeneity was found (I2>50%). The pooled prevalence in G5 Sahel countries of stunting was 41.8% (95%CI: 37.8%-46.0%), wasting: 14.0% (95% CI: 11.9%-16.4%), and underweight: 30.4% (95% CI: 25.4%-35.6%).
In this dataset, Niger has the highest prevalence rate of stunting (47. 4%), followed by Chad (43.2%), Mali (39.8%) and Burkina Faso with (37.2%). Wasting was also higher in Niger (17.8%), compared to Burkina Faso (14.2%), Chad (12.4%) and Mali (12.2%). The highest underweight prevalence was found in Niger (38.8%), followed by Chad (30.5%), Burkina Faso (26.6%) and Mali (26.2%).
Conclusion: Our study shows a high pooled prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight among children aged 6-59 months in G5 Sahel countries.
Impact Factor
2022: 6.012
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