Estimating the burden of illness and economic consequences of malnutrition in Myanmar

Abstract

While there has been progress over the last few decades, maternal and child undernutrition still contributes to a substantial amount of death and illness in the world. In Myanmar, it is the number one risk factor for premature death and disability. In addition to human suffering, the consequences of malnutrition contribute to lower overall economic productivity which impacts families and the country as a whole. This study uses 2016 DHS household survey data from Myanmar to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition related indicators in the country, including stunting, wasting, low birthweight, anemia, and suboptimal breastfeeding practices, along with the population attributable fraction of morbidity and mortality associated with those malnutrition indicators. Additionally, the incidence of deaths and illnesses attributable to malnutrition is used to estimate the economic costs associated with malnutrition. We estimate a total of 11,905 (95% CI: 6,187-17,703) under five deaths per year in Myanmar due to malnutrition, which represents approximately 25% of all under five deaths in the country. The total costs associated with malnutrition is $506.8 million USD (95% CI; 396.7-618.2) annually, which represents approximately 0.80% of Myanmar’s GDP. The main contributors of costs include $212.6 million that is associated with stunting and $145.7 million that is associated with under five mortality. The government of Myanmar should consider the economic consequences of malnutrition when weighing investments in health against other budget considerations.