The Health Of A Water Food The Most Basic Needs Of Humans

Air †¦ water †¦ food †¦ the most basic needs of humans. Sounds relatively simple, right? Yet, an estimated 130 children under age 5 die every single day in Tanzania from malnutrition due to a lack of nutrient rich food. Malnutrition in its most basic form is the lack of nutrients needed for a body to be healthy and grow. The effects are both physical and mental causing stunted growth, fatigue, muscle weakness, weak bones and immune systems, problems with organ function, and in severe cases, death. Among developing countries in Africa, Tanzania has the third largest number of undernourished children. An estimated 42% of children under the age of 5 are malnourished. Although malnutrition can impact people of any age, the effects on infants†¦show more content†¦Tanzania’s livelihood is agriculture. Most rural families practice small-scale farming on plots of land about 2.5 acres in size. They grow corn, cassava, beans, rice, bananas, and sweet potatoes (drought resistance crop), most of the work completed by hand. In drier regions, they raise sheep, cattle, and goats. The major barriers that face the typical farm family are climate volatility and the lack of good infrastructure. These are two of the main things holding back Tanzania, from helping their agricultural industry improve. Climate volatility is a huge part in the lack of good crop production. A study showed, that for corn, there was a 12% yield loss, while rice had a 17% yield loss (The World Bank). That lead to farmers selling all of the crops grown for income, rather than sustenance for their families. The farmers need to meet the certain amount of income, and didn’t realize, that due they forgot about the expenses, they had for that year’s harvest. That caused them to have no food to feed their families with. One of the biggest barriers that affect families, is the lack of good infrastructure. The roads cover .089 Sq. Km. of Surface Area. The world average for road coverage of a country, is .46 Sq. Km. of Surface Area. The amount of paved roads they have, is .0076. This is prohibiting the people, from traveling to sell crops, to make a living, and provide for their families. Factors contributing to malnutrition