[International nutrition and health]

Malnutrition is the major underlying determinant of global disease and death. Maternal undernutrition and the premature introduction of complementary foods with low energy-nutrient density lead to low birth weight, impaired growth and intellectual development, and high mortality due to infectious diseases. More than 5 million of the 10 million annual child deaths are due to underlying undernutrition. As a result of rural-urban migration and access to refined sugar and fat, overnutrition and chronic diseases are also becoming an increasing problem among the poor.