Nutrition Country Profile Republic of Albania
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
NUTRITION COUNTRY PROFILE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Acknowledgments This profile was prepared by Adrian Berisha, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Food Chemistry, Agrofood Department, Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania, in collaboration with Estelle Bader and Chiara Deligia, Consultants, and Marie Claude Dop, Nutrition Officer, Nutrition Planning, Assessment and Evaluation Service, Food and Nutrition Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Albania Nutrition Profile – Food and Nutrition Division, FAO, 2005 2 Summary Albania is a country of Eastern Europe with a relatively young and predominantly rural population. Agriculture accounts for an important share of the gross domestic product (GDP), but the level of mechanization is low and the size of farms is small. Agricultural exports are limited and production is mostly for subsistence. After the end of the communist regime in 1991, Albania experienced a difficult economic transition and suffered two economic shocks due to the financial collapse of the so-called “pyramid schemes” in 1997 and to the Kosovo crisis in 1999. While the GDP has been growing substantially, poverty still affects a large proportion of the population, particularly in rural areas and among the newly urbanized, and causes problems of access to food and health services. Another consequence of poverty is the increase in child labour and a subsequent decrease in school enrolment in rural areas during the last decade. Health services remain underdeveloped and of poor quality. However, infant, child and maternal mortality rates have progressively decreased and immunization coverage is good. Since the 1990s, the supply of many food groups has increased, particularly for dairy products and eggs, and fruit and vegetables. Consequently the diet has become more diversified, especially in urban areas. Presently, at national level, the dietary energy supply is largely sufficient to meet the population’s energy requirements. Overall the prevalence of undernourishment is low. However, Albania is increasingly dependent on imports of cereals. Infant and young child feeding practices are inadequate. Although a very large majority of infants are breastfed, initiation of breastfeeding after birth is late and exclusive breastfeeding is rarely practiced. These inadequate practices, together with poverty and lack of access to health services of quality are reflected in the poor nutritional status of preschool children, which appears to have worsened in the last few years. In 2000, about a third of children under five years were stunted and one out of ten was wasted. At the same time, the population is undergoing a nutrition transition and the prevalence of overweight and obesity is high among adults in the capital Tirana. Iodine deficiency disorders are common among children, particularly in mountainous areas which represent a large part of the country. Less than half of rural households consume adequately iodized salt. Although data on vitamin A deficiency are not available, it seems unlikely that this deficiency is widespread because of the high dietary supply of dairy products and eggs. Limited data on iron deficiency suggest that it is an important public health problem affecting a large proportion of children under 2 years of age. Supplementation with iron has been conducted in some areas but is not generalized. Major improvements in health care and efforts in nutrition education are needed to reduce the high prevalence of undernutrition, while preventing the transition to obesity and chronic diseases. In particular promotion of better infant and young child feeding practices, promotion of diets rich in fruit and vegetables for all, and programmes to alleviate rural and urban poverty to ensure better access to nutritious foods, are the main actions that could improve the nutrition situation. Albania Nutrition Profile – Food and Nutrition Division, FAO, 2005 3 Summary Table Basic Indicators Year Population Total population 3.062 million 2000 Rural population 58 % 2000 Population under 15 years of age 30 % 2000 Annual population growth rate 0.44 % 2000/05 Life expectancy at birth 74 years 2000/05 Agriculture Agricultural area 42 % 2002 Arable and permanent cropland per agricultural inhabitant 0.5 Ha 2002 Level of development Human development and poverty Human development index 0.781 [0-1] 2002 Proportion of population living with less than 1$ a day (PPP) MDG1 17 % 2002 Population living below the national poverty line MDG1 25 % 2002 Education Net primary enrolment ratio MDG2 97 % 2000 Youth literacy (15-24 years) MDG2 99 % 2002 Ratio of girls to boys in primary education MDG3 1.0 girl per 1 boy 2001/02 Health Infant mortality rate MDG4 18 ‰ 2003 Under-five mortality rate MDG4 21 ‰ 2003 Maternal mortality ratio (adjusted) MDG5 55 per 100 000 live births 2000 Tuberculosis prevalence MDG6 33 per 100 000 people 2003 Environment Sustainable access to an improved water source in rural area MDG7 95 % of population 2002 Nutrition indicators Year Energy requirements Population energy requirements 2 275 kcal per capita/day 2001 Food supply Dietary Energy Supply (DES) 2 880 kcal per capita/day 2001 Prevalence of undernourishment MDG1 6 % 2000/02 Share of protein in DES 14 % 2000/02 Share of lipids in DES 26 % 2000/02 Food diversification index 53 % 2000/02 Food consumption Average energy intake (per capita or per adult) n.a. Percent of energy from protein n.a. Percent of energy from lipids n.a. Infant and young child feeding Age Exclusive breastfeeding rate <6 months 7 % 2000 Timely complementary feeding rate 6-9 months 24 % 2000 Bottle-feeding rate 0-11 months n.a. Continued breastfeeding rate at 2 years of age 6 % 2000 Nutritional anthropometry Stunting in children under 5 years 32 % 2000 Wasting in children under 5 years 11 % 2000 Underweight in children under 5 years MDG1 14 % 2000 Women with BMI<18.5 kg/m² n.a. Micronutrient deficiencies Prevalence of goitre in school-age children n.a. Percentage of households consuming adequately iodized salt 57 % 2000 Prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in preschool children n.a. Prevalence of vitamin A supplementation in preschool children 7 % 2000 Prevalence of vitamin A supplementation in mothers 3 % 2000 Prevalence of anemia in women n.a. Prevalence of iron supplementation in mothers n.a. MDG: Millennium Development Goal; n.a.: not available Albania Nutrition Profile – Food and Nutrition Division, FAO, 2005 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................................. 2 Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Summary Table....................................................................................................................................... 4 List of tables and figures ....................................................................................................................... 6 Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Part I: Overview and basic indicators .................................................................................................. 8 I.1 Context........................................................................................................................................... 8 I.2 Population...................................................................................................................................... 8 Population indicators ....................................................................................................................... 8 Population pyramid for 2001............................................................................................................ 9 I.3 Agriculture ..................................................................................................................................... 9 Land use and irrigation statistics ..................................................................................................... 9 Main crops, agricultural calendar, seasonal food shortage ........................................................... 10 Livestock production and fishery ................................................................................................... 10 I.4 Economy ...................................................................................................................................... 10 I.5 Social indicators ......................................................................................................................... 11 Health indicators ............................................................................................................................ 11 Water and sanitation...................................................................................................................... 12 Access to health services .............................................................................................................. 13 Education ....................................................................................................................................... 13 Level of development, poverty......................................................................................................