Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Soc Sci Med. 2019 Apr;226:63-68. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.02.007. Epub 2019 Feb 26.
As Venezuela's economic and political crises continues to evolve, hyperinflation, declining food production and food shortages are contributing to the deterioration of the food and nutrition situation. While official data is largely unavailable, food security and nutrition data from a variety of sources suggest that nearly the entire population is food insecure and that prevalence of acute malnutrition among children is reaching crisis levels in vulnerable populations. In the most recent national survey, 80% of households were food insecure and most households receiving government food assistance reported only occasional receipt. Prevalence of acute malnutrition among children under five increased in vulnerable communities across many states, surpassing serious or critical thresholds in multiple states. Hospitals across the country are reporting increases in both the number and proportion of pediatric consultations and admissions with acute malnutrition, and malnutrition deaths are increasingly common. Declining food security, increases in prevalence of acute malnutrition among children in vulnerable communities, rising pediatric hospital admissions with acute malnutrition and clinician reports of child deaths due to acute malnutrition are indicative of a crisis. The response to the nutrition and food security crisis to date has been limited. There is an urgent need to begin taking steps to address widespread food insecurity and to support treatment for children with acute malnutrition.
随着委内瑞拉的经济和政治危机持续演变，恶性通货膨胀、粮食产量下降和粮食短缺导致粮食和营养状况恶化。虽然官方数据基本无法获得，但来自各种来源的粮食安全和营养数据表明，几乎所有人都面临粮食无保障，弱势人群中儿童急性营养不良的患病率正达到危机水平。在最近的一次全国调查中，80%的家庭粮食无保障，大多数接受政府粮食援助的家庭只偶尔收到援助。在许多州的弱势社区，五岁以下儿童急性营养不良的患病率有所增加，在多个州超过了严重或危急的门槛。全国各地的医院都报告称，患有急性营养不良的儿科就诊和住院人数和比例都有所增加，营养不良死亡也越来越常见。粮食安全状况恶化、弱势社区儿童急性营养不良患病率上升、儿科因急性营养不良住院人数增加以及临床医生报告儿童因急性营养不良死亡，这些都表明出现了危机。迄今为止，对营养和粮食安全危机的应对措施有限。迫切需要开始采取措施解决普遍的粮食不安全问题，并支持对患有急性营养不良的儿童进行治疗。
