Reducing child malnutrition : how far does income growth take us?

How rapidly will child malnutrition respond to GNP growth? This study explores that question using household data from twelve countries. In addition, data on the malnutrition rates since the 1970s available from a cross section of countries are employed in this investigation. Both forms of analysis yield similar results. Income increases at the household and at the national level imply similar rates of reduction in malnutrition at the same rate of increase income. Using these estimates we find that goals of halving the levels of child malnutrition in the first two decades of this century set by the 1990 UNICEF World Summit on Children or the 1996 FAO-WHO World Food summit are unlikely to be met through income growth. Thus a combination of growth and specific nutrition programs will be needed.