WFP/UNICEF DPR KOREA NUTRITION SURVEY SHOWS MARKED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 000791 SIPDIS AIDAC FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 00791 01 OF 02 260638Z STATE FOR A/S KELLY, A/S PRM DEWEY, IO A/S HOLMES, EAP/K DONG AND BELLER, AND IO/EDA WINNICK USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, MCHAMBLISS AND RTILSWORTH USAID FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, AA/DCHA WINTER, AA/ANE CHAMBERLAIN, D/DCHA/FFP LLANDIS AND JBRAUSE NSC FOR JDWORKEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREL PREF EAGR ECON KN PREL PREF EAGR ECON KN KS UN KS EAID UN SUBJECT: WFP/UNICEF DPR KOREA NUTRITION SURVEY SHOWS MARKED DECLINE IN MALNUTRITION RATES AMONG CHILDREN REF: (A) ROME 00655 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. MALNUTRITION RATES AMONG CHILDREN IN THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (DPRK) HAVE DECLINED CONSIDERABLY OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY RELEASED BY WFP AND UNICEF ON FEBRUARY 20, CONJOINTLY WITH THE HOST GOVERNMENT'S CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS AND INSTITUTE OF CHILD NUTRITION. MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY ARE: A) THE PROPORTION OF CHILDREN UNDERWEIGHT (WEIGHT-FOR-AGE) HAS FALLEN FROM 61 PERCENT IN 1998 TO 21 PERCENT IN 2002; B) WASTING, OR ACUTE MALNUTRITION (WEIGHT-FOR-HEIGHT),HAS FALLEN FROM 16 PERCENT TO 9 PERCENT; AND C) STUNTING, OR CHRONIC MALNUTRITION (HEIGHT-FOR-AGE),HAS DROPPED FROM 62 PERCENT TO 42 PERCENT. THE SURVEY COVERED 6,000 RANDOMLY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 00791 01 OF 02 260638Z SELECTED HOUSEHOLDS LOCATED IN 200 RANDOMLY SELECTED RI (DISTRICTS) AND DONG (COUNTIES) OF SEVEN PROVINCES (DPRK HAS NINE PROVINCES),AND THREE CITIES. THE UN AGENCIES CONCLUDED THAT THESE GAINS COULD BE LOST IF INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO THE COUNTRY CONTINUES TO DIMINISH. END SUMMARY. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. THIS NUTRITION ASSESSMENT - THE LARGEST OF ITS KIND EVER TO BE UNDERTAKEN IN NORTH KOREA - COVERED BOTH CHILD AND MATERNAL NUTRITION AND WAS CARRIED OUT IN OCTOBER 2002 BY THE GOVERNMENT'S CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS (CBS) AND INSTITUTE OF CHILD NUTRITION (ICN),IN COLLABORATION WITH UNICEF AND THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (WFP). THE SURVEY SAMPLE INCLUDED 6,000 RANDOMLY SELECTED HOUSEHOLDS LOCATED IN 200 RANDOMLY SELECTED RI AND DONG OF SEVEN PROVINCES (DPRK HAS NINE PROVINCES),AND IN THREE CITIES. THE HOUSEHOLDS SELECTED WERE THOSE WITH CHILDREN UNDER SEVEN YEARS OF AGE. IN EACH HOUSEHOLD SELECTED, THE YOUNGEST CHILD WAS WEIGHED AND MEASURED, AND INFORMATION COLLECTED ON HOUSEHOLD FOOD SUPPLIES. IN HOUSEHOLDS WHERE THE CHILD WAS UNDER TWO YEARS OF AGE, THE MOTHER WAS ALSO INTERVIEWED CONCERNING MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CARE PRACTICES, INFANT FEEDING PRACTICES, AND MATERNAL FEEDING PRACTICES. MOTHERS OF CHILDREN UNDER TWO YEARS OLD CHILDREN WERE ALSO WEIGHED AND MEASURED, AND INVITED TO UNDERGO A HEMOGLOBIN EXAMINATION. ¶3. THE NUTRITION ASSESSMENT INVOLVED OVER 100 PROFESSIONALLY UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 ROME 00791 01 OF 02 260638Z QUALIFIED STAFF - CBS, ICN, WFP AND UNICEF. TWENTY TEAMS OF FIVE PERSONS FROM THE CENTRAL LEVEL CARRIED OUT DATA COLLECTION. THEY WERE ASSISTED BY PROVINCIAL LEVEL LOGISTICS TEAMS THAT ARRANGED FOR LOCAL PREPARATIONS AND SUPPORT IN THE RI AND DONG, AND BY A PROVINCIAL LEVEL DATA ENTRY AND QUALITY CONTROL TEAM. UNICEF AND WFP PROVIDED FINANCIAL AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT. THE INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH, LONDON AND THAILAND HEALTH FOUNDATION, BANGKOK, PROVIDED TECHNICAL ADVICE. CBS WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR PREPARATION OF QUESTIONNAIRE, IDENTIFICATION OF SURVEY TARGET HOUSEHOLDS, ENLISTMENT AND TRAINING OF SURVEY TEAM MEMBERS, ORGANISATION AND MONITORING OF FIELD SURVEY ACTIVITIES, REVIEW OF QUESTIONNAIRES AND DATA COLLECTION, DATA ANALYSIS AND REPORT WRITE-UP. -------------- FINDINGS -------------- ¶4. MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY ARE: A) THE PROPORTION OF CHILDREN UNDERWEIGHT (WEIGHT-FOR-AGE) HAS FALLEN FROM 61 PERCENT IN 1998 TO 21 PERCENT IN 2002; B) WASTING, OR ACUTE MALNUTRITION (WEIGHT-FOR-HEIGHT),HAS FALLEN FROM 16 PERCENT TO 9 PERCENT; AND C) STUNTING, OR CHRONIC MALNUTRITION (HEIGHT-FOR-AGE),HAS UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ8202 PAGE 01 ROME 00791 02 OF 02 260638Z ACTION AID-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AMAD-00 CA-01 CIAE-00 COME-00 USNW-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 DOTE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 MEDE-00 EAP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 FAAE-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 VCE-00 M-00 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OCS-03 OES-00 OIC-02 PA-00 PER-00 PM-00 ACE-00 P-00 SCT-00 SP-00 IRM-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 SA-00 R-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-01 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 SWCI-00 /009W -------------- 3B7A29 260639Z /38 P 260546Z FEB 03 FM AMEMBASSY ROME TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8457 INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY BEIJING AMEMBASSY SEOUL AMEMBASSY TOKYO AMEMBASSY CANBERRA USEU BRUSSELS 3147 USMISSION GENEVA USMISSION USUN NEW YORK UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 ROME 000791 SIPDIS AIDAC FROM U.S. MISSION IN ROME UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 00791 02 OF 02 260638Z STATE FOR A/S KELLY, A/S PRM DEWEY, IO A/S HOLMES, EAP/K DONG AND BELLER, AND IO/EDA WINNICK USDA/FAS FOR U/S PENN, MCHAMBLISS AND RTILSWORTH USAID FOR ADMINISTRATOR NATSIOS, AA/DCHA WINTER, AA/ANE CHAMBERLAIN, D/DCHA/FFP LLANDIS AND JBRAUSE NSC FOR JDWORKEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID PREL PREF EAGR ECON KN PREL PREF EAGR ECON KN KS UN KS EAID UN SUBJECT: WFP/UNICEF DPR KOREA NUTRITION SURVEY SHOWS MARKED DECLINE IN MALNUTRITION RATES AMONG CHILDREN DROPPED FROM 62 PERCENT TO 42 PERCENT. ¶5. IN GENERAL, CAREFUL REVIEW OF THE RESULTS SUGGESTS THAT REAL IMPROVEMENTS HAVE OCCURRED. THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE, HOWEVER, MUCH MORE PRONOUNCED FOR UNDERWEIGHT GAINS THAN THEY ARE FOR STUNTING. THE FALL IN UNDERWEIGHT ACROSS THREE SURVEYS (1998, 2000 AND 2002) - FROM 60 PERCENT TO 28 PERCENT TO 20 PERCENT - SHOWS A CONSISTENT TREND. ¶6. HOWEVER, THE RATES OF CHILD UNDERWEIGHT AND STUNTING ARE STILL HIGH AND REQUIRE CONTINUED AND SUSTAINED EFFORTS. THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT MATERNAL NUTRITION IS FAR FROM OPTIMAL WITH A THIRD OF MOTHERS MEASURED RECORDING LESS THAN 22.5 CM FOR MUAC. MOREOVER, ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF MOTHERS COVERED BY THE SURVEY WERE OBSERVED TO BE BOTH MALNOURISHED AND ANEMIC. ¶7. THE ASSESSMENT PROVIDED THE FIRST OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 ROME 00791 02 OF 02 260638Z DIFFERING VULNERABILITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY. STUNTING AMONG CHILDREN IN NAMPO CITY WAS 25 PERCENT, FOR EXAMPLE, COMPARED TO 48 PERCENT IN SOUTH HAMGYONG PROVINCE. THE WASTING RATE IN PYONGYANG WAS JUST UNDER 4 PERCENT, AGAINST 12 PERCENT IN SOUTH HAMGYONG. THE SURVEY FOUND SIMILAR PATTERNS IN FOOD AVAILABILITY AND THE INCIDENCE OF CHILDHOOD DIARRHEA. UNICEF AND WFP SAID SUCH PATTERNS CONFIRMED THEIR OBSERVATIONS FROM FIELD MONITORING THAT THE NORTHEASTERN PROVINCES ARE MORE VULNERABLE THAN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. -------------- WFP/UNICEF CONCLUSION -------------- ¶8. THOUGH CHILD MALNUTRITION HAS FALLEN CONSIDERABLY, ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY, BOTH WFP AND UNICEF COMMENTED THAT THERE IS STILL "GREAT CAUSE FOR CONCERN." CITING WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) CRITERIA, THEY CONCLUDE THAT CHILD- WASTING RATES ARE STILL HIGH, AND CHILD STUNTING RATES VERY HIGH. JAMES T. MORRIS, WFP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMENTED THAT: "THE CRISIS IS NOT OVER. IF THE UN CAN'T PROVIDE MORE MEDICINE AND FOOD - AND QUICKLY - WE WILL SEE MALNUTRITION RATES RISE AGAIN, UNDOING MUCH OF THE PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE." HALL UNCLASSIFIED > 2003ROME00791 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED