| [00:00.10] |
From VOA Learning English, |
| [00:02.00] |
this is the Education Report. |
| [00:05.68] |
A new study shows that child hunger |
| [00:09.31] |
costs Ethiopia billions of dollars a year |
| [00:13.30] |
in economic losses. |
| [00:15.15] |
The research showed that in 2009, |
| [00:19.03] |
the country lost an estimated $4.7 billion |
| [00:24.50] |
because its children do not get enough to eat, |
| [00:28.38] |
that is equal to 16.5 percent of its Gross Domestic Product. |
| [00:35.56] |
The report says poor nutrition has slowed growth |
| [00:40.34] |
and development in two of every five children in Ethiopia, |
| [00:45.96] |
and it says 80 percent of malnourished children |
| [00:51.30] |
do not get treatments. |
| [00:54.23] |
The African Union Commission, |
| [00:56.77] |
the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) |
| [00:59.61] |
and Ethiopian government agencies did the study. |
| [01:03.90] |
The research shows that malnutrition |
| [01:07.53] |
causes more than 20 percent of child deaths in Ethiopia. |
| [01:12.16] |
And the report notes that the deaths have reduced |
| [01:16.59] |
the number of working people in the country by eight percent. |
| [01:21.52] |
Elizabeth Byrs is a World Food Program official. |
| [01:25.26] |
"The study estimates that Ethiopia |
| [01:28.04] |
could reduce losses by $12.5 billion by 2025, |
| [01:36.51] |
if it reduces underweight rates |
| [01:41.05] |
to five percent and stunting to 10 percent." |
| [01:46.18] |
The report says under developed or stunted children |
| [01:51.55] |
in early education repeat grades more than non-stunted children. |
| [01:57.32] |
In addition, stunted children in Ethiopia |
| [02:01.28] |
are more likely to drop out of school, |
| [02:04.16] |
meaning they will end their education before it is completed. |
| [02:09.93] |
Mrs Byrs said the effects of stunting do not end with childhood. |
| [02:15.17] |
Instead, she said, stunting remains a life-long problem. |
| [02:21.14] |
She said it affects both those who suffer from it, |
| [02:24.82] |
and the larger society. |
| [02:27.61] |
The report says nearly 70 percent of adults in Ethiopia |
| [02:33.05] |
have suffered from stunting as children. |
| [02:35.93] |
It says this means more than 26 million people of working age |
| [02:42.26] |
have not been able to reach their potential. |
| [02:46.04] |
The report notes that adults who were stunted as children |
| [02:50.68] |
are less likely to have jobs that require a lot of physical labor, |
| [02:56.56] |
because they generally are smaller. |
| [02:59.74] |
It says this results in earnings losses. |
| [03:04.12] |
Mrs Byrs said the Ethiopian government recently launched |
| [03:09.60] |
a half-billion dollar National Nutrition Program, |
| [03:13.49] |
because the effects of the malnutrition are so severe. |
| [03:17.77] |
She said the government's program would provide food |
| [03:22.35] |
and vitamins to young children from birth through age 5. |
| [03:27.78] |
She said the goal is to prevent stunting |
| [03:31.56] |
during the first 1,000 days of life. |
| [03:35.44] |
Mrs Byrs also said the program will increase school feeding programs. |
| [03:41.46] |
She said support programs for pregnant and breast-feeding women |
| [03:46.85] |
will be developed in health centers and hospitals. |
| [03:50.58] |
And that's the Education Report from VOA Learning English, |
| [03:55.82] |
I'm June Simms. |
