Country Report: Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition Status in Mongolia

Abstract

Information on the health and nutrition status of mothers and children in Mongolia was gathered during a recent consultancy supported by UNICEF in collaboration with WHO and the Mongolian Ministry of Health. Data were collected from published and unpublished documents, interviews with Mongolian nutrition and health specialists and UNICEF country representatives, and observations using rapid assessment procedures. The four main nutrition problems found were protein-energy malnutrition, vitamin D deficiency, iodine-deficiency disorders, and irondeficiency anaemia. Also of great concern is an extremely high level of acute respiratory infection among young children, which may be attributable in part to the Mongolian lifestyle.