sub-Saharan Africa

nutritional deficiency

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• The central area of Sub-Saharan Africa bears the greatest burden of worldwide nutritional deficiencies (NDs) prevalence, potentially due to genetic predisposition, higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes, inadequate access to health care, and lack of understanding of stroke risk factors.
• Between 1990 and 2021, the greatest substantial decline in the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of nutritional deficiencies occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of -2.81 (-3.01 to 2.62).
• In low-SDI (Sociodemographic Index) regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, political instability and violence cause food supply disruptions, infrastructure loss, and a lack of health resources, which compound the burden of nutritional deficiencies.
• The combination of high-salt, high-fat diets and rapid urbanization in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa has resulted in an increase in metabolic disorders such as hypertension and diabetes.
• The Age-Standardized Prevalence Rate (ASPR) for nutritional deficiencies is highest in central sub-Saharan Africa at 44,824.1 per 100,000 people, followed by South Asia at 40,854.69 per 100,000 people, and sub-Saharan Africa at 39,924.67 per 100,000 people.
• Sub-Saharan Africa has the greatest age-standardized disability-adjusted life expectancy (DALY) for nutritional deficiencies, with 4,027.09 per 100,000 people (95% UI: 3,326.07–5,033.9).
• Nutritional deficiencies may be more prevalent in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa due to poor eating habits (such as excessive salt and processed foods), fast urbanization, hereditary factors, and insufficient health-care resources.

European strategic autonomy

European strategic autonomy is linked to sub-Saharan Africa as policymakers from the Netherlands [1], Romania [2], and Lithuania [3] advocate for extending EU strategic initiatives and crisis management efforts into this region. — 3 supporting facts

Vernonia amygdalina

Vernonia amygdalina is identified as an indigenous plant that grows and thrives throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa as stated in [1] and [2]. — 2 supporting facts

diabetes

Diabetes is linked to sub-Saharan Africa as a prevalent metabolic disorder in the region, driven by factors such as genetic predisposition and inadequate healthcare access [1], as well as the impact of rapid urbanization and dietary changes [2]. — 2 supporting facts

dietary diversity

The concept of dietary diversity is directly linked to sub-Saharan Africa because the region faces challenges with limited dietary variety, as described in [1]. — 1 supporting fact

fruits

The concept of fruits is related to sub-Saharan Africa because the region faces challenges in dietary diversity, specifically characterized by limited access to fruits and vegetables as noted in [1]. — 1 supporting fact

South Asia

Justification not yet generated — showing supporting facts

• Although diet quality was highest among children in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the quality of these diets worsened or remained stable over time in these regions.
• In low-income countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, consumption of healthy components such as fruit, non-starchy vegetables, legumes/nuts, seafood omega-3 fat, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) remained far from optimal in 2018.
• In low-SDI (Sociodemographic Index) regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, political instability and violence cause food supply disruptions, infrastructure loss, and a lack of health resources, which compound the burden of nutritional deficiencies.
• The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) research in 2015 and 2019 identified that countries and regions in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia experience higher rates of childhood nutritional deficiencies.
• The combination of high-salt, high-fat diets and rapid urbanization in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa has resulted in an increase in metabolic disorders such as hypertension and diabetes.
• Childhood nutritional deficiencies in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia may be attributed to limited food availability, low household income, and inadequate child care.
• Between 1990 and 2018, dietary quality trends as measured by the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) showed no significant change in South Asia (0) and a decreasing trend in Sub-Saharan Africa (−1.1).
• The Age-Standardized Prevalence Rate (ASPR) for nutritional deficiencies is highest in central sub-Saharan Africa at 44,824.1 per 100,000 people, followed by South Asia at 40,854.69 per 100,000 people, and sub-Saharan Africa at 39,924.67 per 100,000 people.
• Diet quality increased modestly between 1990 and 2018 globally, except in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, where it did not improve.
• Nutritional deficiencies may be more prevalent in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa due to poor eating habits (such as excessive salt and processed foods), fast urbanization, hereditary factors, and insufficient health-care resources.
• In 2018, the highest dietary pattern scores were identified in low-income countries in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, driven by relatively low consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and red/processed meats.
• Regions with high Socio-Demographic Index (SDI), such as Western Europe and high-income Asia Pacific, exhibited significantly lower age-standardized rates (ASR) for non-communicable diseases, while low-SDI regions, including Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, had substantially higher ASR rates.

Nigeria

Nigeria is geographically situated within the region of sub-Saharan Africa as stated in [1], and its socioeconomic indicators, such as the GINI index, are compared to other nations in the region in [2]. Furthermore, [3] highlights Nigeria's health statistics in relation to the broader sub-Saharan Africa average, while [4] discusses the economic context of the region with specific reference to Nigeria. — 4 supporting facts

Middle East

These regions are linked as they both exhibit no significant variation in dietary quality based on education level [1], [2], and are both identified as areas of security concern for the United States [3]. — 3 supporting facts

Asia

These locations are linked as regions of shared ecological distribution for the plant Vernonia amygdalina [1], as common areas of focus for United States security concerns [2], and as regions experiencing progress toward universal electricity access [3]. — 3 supporting facts

Europe

These locations are linked as comparative regions in a 2018 study on domestic abuse statistics [1], as strategic areas of concern for United States security policy [2], and as interconnected zones for Lithuanian foreign policy regarding stabilization and crisis management [3]. — 2 supporting facts

India

These locations are related because they are both cited as reference points for vitamin C content values in the same study, as noted in [1]. — 1 supporting fact