Who suffers from zinc deficiency?

Because of inadequate intakes, billions of people are at risk for zinc deficiency. In fact, more than 400,000 children die each year due to zinc deficiency. Current estimates of the risk of zinc deficiency indicate that approximately one-third of the world’s population live in countries where the risk of zinc deficiency is high. Direct measures of the prevalence of zinc deficiency are scarce as the recommended method for measuring zinc deficiency has not been used widely since its publication in 2007.*

Each country has been classified into three categories of risk of zinc deficiency on the basis of the combination of stunting prevalence and adequacy of zinc in the food supply (see Map below). Countries at high risk of zinc deficiency are those with a stunting prevalence of more than 20% and estimated prevalence of inadequate zinc intake of more than 25%; countries at low risk of zinc deficiency are those with stunting prevalence of less than 10% and inadequate zinc intake of less than 15%; countries at medium risk of zinc deficiency are those with all other combinations of the categories of stunting prevalence and adequacy of zinc in the food supply. Selected countries in South and Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, Central America and the Andean regions appear to have the highest risk of zinc deficiency.

*Report of a WHO/UNCEF/IAEA/IZINCG Interagency Meeting on Zinc Status Indicators, Held in IAEA Headquarters, Vienna, December 9, 2005. de Benoist B, Darnton-Hill I, Davidsson L, Fontaine O (editors). Food and Nutrition Bulletin. 2007; 28(Supplement 3):S399-S486

Estimates of percentage of population at risk from zinc deficiency by region

Note:data not available for countries shown in green

Source: IZiNCG Technical Document #1, Estimated National Risk of Zinc Deficiency in Populations based on the combination of the prevalence of childhood growth stunting and the percent of people at risk of inadequate zinc intakes. C Hotz and K.H. Brown. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 25(1) 2004

Why do we need zinc?

Zinc is involved in more body functions than any other mineral. Zinc’s role include acting as necessary component of more than 200 enzyme systems, normal growth and development, the maintenance of body tissues, sexual function, vision, and the immune system. Zinc is essential for survival and zinc deficiency has serious consequences for health, particularly during childhood when zinc requirements are increased. In addition, zinc deficiency also causes stunting. Randomized controlled trials showed that zinc supplementation can reduce the severity of morbidity from a number of common childhood infections, including diarrhea, pneumonia, and possibly malaria, by one-third.

Zinc Deficiency Among Children Under Age 5, By Region

Source:Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, second edition, 2006, Tables 28.1,28.2,and 28.3