Burden of Wasting and Stunting in Colombia and Its Economic Impact: A Society's Perspective Analysis, 2021

Abstract

Background/objectives: Child malnutrition is a critical public health concern that significantly hampers children's physical and mental development and imposes serious economic burdens. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that malnutrition is responsible for half of all deaths among children under five, leading to long-term consequences such as lower educational achievement, decreased productivity, and deepened poverty. This study aims to estimate the burden of child malnutrition in Colombia for children up to four years old, assessing both direct and indirect costs from a societal perspective.

Methods: A Markov chain model was utilized to simulate six health states related to malnutrition, integrating direct and indirect costs. Epidemiological data and international literature informed the transition probabilities between states, while caregiver surveys were conducted to capture the indirect costs.

Results: The study found that malnutrition accounted for 419.84 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 1000 inhabitants. The total cost of malnutrition over a four-year period was approximately USD 243.58 million, with an annual average of USD 60.89 million, of which 65% of the burden fell on households.

Conclusions: Child malnutrition in Colombia presents a considerable burden on health systems, households, and the national economy, demonstrating the need for robust interventions to mitigate its long-term socioeconomic impact.

Keywords: burden of disease; cost of disease; growth failure; protein-caloric malnutrition.

Figure 1

Markov model.

Figure 2

Evolution of years of life lost (YLL), years of life lost due to disability (YLD), and DALYs for the four cycles analyzed by the model.