Multi-Country Nutrition Poll 2011 Topline Report

A survey commissioned by Save the Children carried out in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria and Peru showed that the recent increase in food prices had compounded the chronic problem of child malnutrition. Nearly half of surveyed families say they have been forced to cut back on food and nearly a third of parents surveyed said their children complained that they didn’t have enough food to eat. The poll also revealed that one in six surveyed had asked their children to skip school in order to work and help pay for food. Significant proportions in all countries have been impacted by the rise in food prices, and its effects appear to be most concentrated among low-income and low-educated groups and those with large families. But it is far from a uniform picture, with wide differences from country to country.