Nutrition Landscape Information System (NLiS)


Malawi

NLiS Country Profile: Malawi

Child Malnutrition

Child (<5 y) Anthropometry
Indicator Year Value
Low birth weight (<2500 g) (%) 2015 14.5
Overweight (BMI-for-age >+1 SD) in school-age children and adolescents 5-19 years (%) 2016 10.6

Malnutrition in Women

Female malnutrition based on BMI

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

Indicator Year Value
Anaemia children <5 y (Hb <110 g/L) (%) 2016 59.2
Anaemia in non-pregnant women (Hb <120 g/L) (%) 2016 33.6
Anaemia in pregnant women (Hb <110 g/L) (%) 2016 41.8
Anaemia in women of reproductive age (%) 2016 34.4
Clinical vitamin A deficiency in women (history of night blindness during most recent pregnancy) (%) 2004 5.8
Median urinary iodine concentration in children 6-12 years (μg/L)   no data
Subclinical vitamin A deficiency in preschool-age children (serum/plasma retinol <0.70 μmol/L) (%) 2001 59.2

Health Services

Indicator Year Value
Births attended by skilled health personnel (%) 2015 89.8
Population using improved drinking-water sources (%) 2015 90.2
Population using improved sanitation facility (%) 2015 41.0
Children aged 1 year immunized against measles (%) 2016 81.0
Any antenatal iron supplementation (%) 2015-2016 89.3
Children <5 years with diarrhoea receiving ORT (%) 2014 48.5
Children with diarrhoea receiving zinc (%) 2016 28.1
Children aged 6-59 months receiving vitamin A supplements (dose 1) (%) 2017 99.0
Children aged 6-59 months receiving vitamin A supplements (dose 2) (%) 2017 91.0
Births in baby-friendly facilities (%) 2014 3.9
Mothers of children 0-23 months receiving counselling, support or messages on optimal breastfeeding at least once in the last year (%)   no data

Food Security

Indicator Year Value
Households consuming adequately iodized salt (15 parts per million or more) (%) 2015 77.7
Population below the international poverty line (%) 2016 70.3

Caring Practices

Indicator Year Value
Early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth (%) 2015 76.2
Introduction to solid, semi-solid or soft foods in infants 6-8 months (%) 2015 84.9
Minimum acceptable diet (MAD) in children 6-23 months (%) 2015 8.1
Children with diarrhoea <5 y receiving oral rehydration therapy (ORT) and continued feeding (%) 2016 56.7
No breastfeeding data available for this country

Commitment

Indicator Year Value
General government expenditure on health as % of total government expenditure 2014 16.8
Total expenditure on health as % of gross domestic product 2014 11.4
Per capita total expenditure on health (US$) 2014 93.5
Nutrition component of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2008-2011 Medium
Nutrition component of Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) 2006-2011 Strong
Nutrition Governance score 2009 Strong
Maternity leave 2013 8 weeks
International Code on Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes: Legal status of the Code 2018 Many provisions in law

Capacity

Indicator Year Value
Degree training in nutrition exists 2016-2017 Yes
Nutrition is part of medical curricula 2016-2017 Yes
Nutrition professionals density (per 100,000 population)   no data
Nursing and midwifery personnel density per 1,000 population 2009 0.3
GDP per capita (PPP US$) 2018 1,309
GDP per capita annual growth rate (%) 2018 0.8
Official development assistance (ODA) received (net disbursements) (% of GNI) 2017 24.1
Low-Income Food-Deficit Country (LIFDC) 2018 Yes

Meta-indicators

Indicator Year Value
Averaged aggregate governance indicators 2018 -0.5
Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2017 0.619
Gender Parity Index in primary level enrolment (ratio of girls to boys) 2018 1
Human development index (HDI) value 2017 0.5
Seats held by women in national parliament (%) 2019 16.7

Female Education Levels

Female Education Levels 2017

Education

Education

Under 5 Mortality

Policies & Actions in the Global database on the Implementation of Nutrition Action (GINA)

Policy title Start Year
National Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) Operational Plan 2017-2021 2017
National Nutrition Policy 2013
Food Security Action Plan 2008
National Nutrition Policy and Strategic Plan 2007
Food Security Policy 2006
Food and Nutrition Security Policy 2005
Infant and Young Child Nutrition Policy and Guidelines 2003
HIV/AIDS Agriculture Sector Policy and Strategy 2003
Employment Act 2000
National Plan of Action for Nutrition 2000
Progamme title and actions Start Year
Maziko: Nutrition Foundations for Women and Children - Promotion of food security and agriculture 2012
Feed the Future: The U.S. Government’s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative - Complementary food fortification 2011
Feed the Future: The U.S. Government’s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative - Management of severe acute malnutrition 2011
Feed the Future: The U.S. Government’s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative - Promotion of food security and agriculture 2011
Feed the Future: The U.S. Government’s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative - Women's education 2011
Feed the Future: The U.S. Government’s Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative - Women's education 2011
Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition Project - Infant feeding in the context of HIV 2010
GNPR 2016-2017: Promotion of healthy diet and prevention of obesity and diet-related NCDs (q12a) National Nutrition Guidelines for Malawi - Food-based dietary guidelines 2007
GNPR 2016-2017: Infant and young child nutrition (q10) - Complementary feeding promotion and/or counselling  
GNPR 2016-2017: Infant and young child nutrition (q6) - Growth monitoring and promotion  
GNPR 2016-2017: Infant and young child nutrition (q7) - Breastfeeding promotion and/or counselling  
GNPR 2016-2017: Infant and young child nutrition (q8) - Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI)  
GNPR 2016-2017: Promotion of healthy diet and prevention of obesity and diet-related NCDs (q20) - Media promotion of healthy nutrition  
GNPR 2016-2017: Prevention and management of acute malnutrition (q37) - Food distribution/supplementation for prevention of acute malnutrition  
GNPR 2016-2017: Prevention and management of acute malnutrition (q38) - Management of moderate malnutrition  
GNPR 2016-2017: Prevention and management of acute malnutrition (q39) - Management of severe acute malnutrition  
GNPR 2016-2017: Nutrition and infectious disease (q41) - Counselling on nutritional support & care for people living with TB  
GNPR 2016-2017: School health and nutrition (q11) - Deworming  
GNPR 2016-2017: School health and nutrition (q11) - Extracurricular nutrition education  
GNPR 2016-2017: School health and nutrition (q11) - Food distribution/supplementation for prevention of acute malnutrition  
GNPR 2016-2017: School health and nutrition (q11) - Home, school or community gardening  
GNPR 2016-2017: School health and nutrition (q11) - Monitoring children's growth in schools  
GNPR 2016-2017: School health and nutrition (q11) - Nutrition education included in school curriculum  
GNPR 2016-2017: School health and nutrition (q11) - School feeding programmes  
GNPR 2016-2017: School health and nutrition (q11) - School fruit and vegetable scheme