NUTRITION AND INFECTION IN TROPICAL COUNTRIES - IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC-HEALTH INTERVENTION - A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE

Although the health and nutritional status of populations in many coun tries in the tropical and subtropical zones in Africa, Latin America, and Asia have improved considerably, nutritional problems and the burd en of infectious diseases are still a major public health concern. Thi s review presents the interrelationship between infections and the nut ritional status of preschool children with an emphasis on ''protein-en ergy-deficiency'' on a community basis. Common nutritional indicators of subclinical undernutrition are the proportion of underweight, wasti ng, and stunting in children. These anthropometric nutritional indicat ors are also proxy indicators of the overall well-being of the child p opulation. They reflect, in particular, the burden of infectious disea ses on the community. Also in subclinical undernutrition, infectious d iseases and often ill-defined spells of illness negatively affect nutr itional status. A reduced nutritional status increases the risk of inf ections. Infectious diseases and undernutrition interact synergistical ly. In most countries, available resources are adequate to improve the nutritional status of the population and reduce illness spells; that is, if the population could be motivated to take health-related action s and have the active support of the health delivery sector on a commu nity level. (C)Elsevier Science Inc. 1998.