Federal government websites often end in. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. The site is secure. NCBI Bookshelf. Laura E. Caulfield , Stephanie A. Richard , and Robert E. Authors Laura E. Undernutrition is highly prevalent in many areas in which morbidity and mortality from malaria is unacceptably high. That undernutrition exacerbates diarrhea and respiratory infections is widely demonstrated; however, research suggests that it may exacerbate, palliate, or have little effect on malaria outcomes.
This review examines the global burden of malaria associated with various nutrient deficiencies as well as underweight status in children 0—4 years of age. Although the association is complex and requires additional research, improved nutritional status lessens the severity of malaria episodes and results in fewer deaths due to malaria. Deficiencies in vitamin A, zinc, iron, folate, as well as other micronutrients are responsible for a substantial proportion of malaria morbidity and mortality.
It is recommended that nutrition programs be integrated into existing malaria intervention programs. Malaria is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in tropical and subtropical regions.
Malaria often afflicts populations that are both impoverished and malnourished, and a large portion of the burden of malaria falls upon the most vulnerable within the population, children and pregnant women. Nutrition plays a major role in maintaining health, and malnutrition appears to generate vulnerability to a wide variety of diseases and general ill health. Historical observational studies provide some evidence of harm resulting from adequate nutrition, 5— 10 whereas more recent studies indicate either no evidence of benefit or some benefits resulting from nutritional adequacy.
The paper will review published research both on underweight or growth faltering in children, as well as particular micronutrient deficiencies that are considered relevant to the malaria-malnutrition association: iron, zinc, and vitamin A. The relationship between underweight status and ill health, however, is complex because ill health often results in undernutrition and undernutrition increases susceptibility to disease, particularly severe disease.
