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The hidden hunger: ending micronutrient malnutrition a worthwhile challenge.

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For people in developing countries, eating a diet rich in vitamins, minerals and protein is not always easy. The Presbyterian Church in Canada believes the challenge of a healthy diet is a worthy conquest. Through its relief and development arm, Presbyterian World Service & Development, the church helps impoverished nations cultivate good nutrition programs. "Nutrition is one of the basic building blocks of development," said PWS&D's communications coordinator, Karen Plater. "The main focus is to empower people so they can live the best they can, and break the cycle of poverty."

Micronutrient deficiencies do more than affect the health of a country's citizens. It affects the health of the country itself. The Copenhagen Consensus--a group of leading economists who rated the impact on human welfare of targeting the world's largest problems--reported this year that investing in programs to halt vitamin and mineral deficiencies was second only to controlling HIV and AIDS. The benefits gained from a healthy workforce, and the numerous possibilities available to create one, are impossible to ignore. Adding iron to flour costs 50 cents a tonne. The cost of iron deficiency anemia to a country equals four dollars per capita per year. In India, for example, this translates into US $4 billion lost annually.

An added bonus to good nutrition is its effect on other problems. A healthy diet is the starting point for receiving an education, increasing household income and giving people the ability to survive on their own. These factors combine to produce a more amicable society. "It's been shown that good nutrition can actually help reduce the incidence of conflict," said Ms. Plater. "The goal is to make the community stronger so it can withstand disaster." This includes physical conflict as well as hurricanes and other natural disasters.

One of the most insidious nutrient deficiencies in the developing world is iodine deficiency. Iodine deficiency disease (IDD) is the world's leading cause of mental disability and brain damage. About one billion people suffer from some level of the disease. It is estimated that 665 million people have goitre (an enlargement of the thyroid gland)...

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