健康英语新闻:WHO launches online nutrition guidance

GENEVA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- In a bid to prevent millions of deaths and suffering every year from malnutrition, the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) launched an online initiative on Wednesday.

The e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA), according to WHO, offers the latest advice on tackling the three main forms of malnutrition, including undernutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as well as overweight and obesity.

The recommendations by eLENA to tackle malnutrition include promoting breastfeeding and fortifying staple foods with vitamins and minerals such as iron and folic acid for wheat and maize flours.

It also recommends using multiple micronutrient powders to fortify foods for children aged between six and 23 months.

To prevent anaemia, daily iron and folic supplements are advised for pregnant women, and intermittent iron and folic acid supplementation is recommended for menstruating women and preschool and school-age.

While overweight and obesity affect around 1.5 billion adults over age 20, and more than 40 million children aged under five across the world, underweight is the leading risk factor for many diseases in low-income countries and represents about six percent of the world medical burden, WHO statistics showed.