Acute malnutrition among children under 5 Metadata

Prevalence of acute malnutrition among children under 5 years of age, by level

Acute malnutrition among children under 5

AcuteMalnutrition

Global acute malnutrition (GAM) prevalence is the proportion of children ages 6-59 months in a given population considered severely acutely malnourished (SAM) and moderately acutely malnourished (MAM). It is defined by the presence of bilateral pitting oedema and / or wasting defined by weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) -2 standard deviations from the WHO Child Growth Standards median reference population.

A child is classified as SAM if they:(1) have a weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) of -3 SD, or (2) the presence of nutritional oedema. A child is classified as MAM if they: have a WHZ of -3 SD and -2 SD.

This indicator is used to measure nutrition status at population level and as an indicator of the severity of an emergency situation. Wasting is characterised by rapid weight loss, usually the result of a recent shock, such as lack of calories and nutrients, and/or illness. It undermines child growth and development and is strongly linked to higher rates of mortality. A child who is severely wasted is 9 times more likely to die than a child who is not wasted. If 10% or more of children are classified as suffering from GAM, this is generally considered to be a serious emergency, and with over 15% the emergency is considered critical.

Numerator: Number of children aged 0-59 months who are acutely malnourished
Denominator: Total number of children aged 0-59 months who were measured with a valid measurement.

International definition and standards