CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

DEMOGRAPHICS AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Total population (000) 4,487 (2011) Causes of under-five deaths, 2010 Under-five mortality rate Globally, undernutrition contributes to more than Deaths per 1,000 live births Total under-five population (000) 659 (2011) one third of child deaths 200 Total number of births (000) 156 (2011) Others 15% 169 Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) 164 (2011) 164 Measles 0% 160 Total number of under-five deaths (000) 25 (2011) Meningitis 2% Neonatal 28% HIV/AIDS 3% 120 Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) 108 (2011) Injuries 3% Neonatal mortality rate (per 1,000 live births) 46 (2011) 80 HIV prevalence rate (15–49 years old, %) 4.6 (2011) 56 Population below international 63 (2008) Malaria 26% 40 MDG 4 poverty line of US$1.25 per day (%) Pneumonia 13% target

GNI per capita (US$) 470 (2011) Diarrhoea 10% 0 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Primary school net attendance ratio 47, 56 (2006) (% female, % male) Source: WHO/CHERG, 2012. Source: IGME, 2012. NUTRITIONAL STATUS

Burden of malnutrition (2011) Stunted (under-fives, 000) 270 MDG 1 progress No progress

Stunting country rank 50 Wasted (under-fives, 000) 46 Underweight (under-fives, 000) 158

Share of world stunting burden (%) <1% Severely wasted (under-fives, 000) 13 Overweight (under-fives, 000) 12

Stunting trends Stunting disparities Underweight trends Percentage of children <5 years old stunted Percentage of children <5 years old stunted, Percentage of children <5 years old underweight by selected background characteristics 100% 100% Boys 44 MDG 1: NO PROGRESS Girls 38 80% 80% Urban 38 60% Rural 42 60%

40% 45 Poorest 20% 45 40% 42 43 41 Second 20% 45 Middle 20% 41 20% 20% 26 Fourth 20% 39 24 22 24 Richest 20% 30 0% 0% 1994–1995 2000 2006 2010 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 1994–1995 2000 2006 2010 DHS MICS MICS MICS DHS MICS MICS MICS Source: MICS, 2010.

INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD FEEDING Exclusive breastfeeding trends Infant feeding practices, by age Percentage of infants <6 months old exclusively 100% breastfed

100% 80% 80%

60% 60% 40% 34 20% 23 40% 3 17 0% 1994–1995 2000 2006 2010 DHS MICS MICS MICS 20%

Weaned Breastfed and (not breastfed) non-milk liquids 0% Breastfed and Breastfed and solid/semi-solid foods plain water only 0–1 2–3 4–5 6–7 8–9 10–11 12–13 14–15 16–17 18–19 20–21 22–23 Breastfed and Exclusively Age (months) * other milk/formula breastfed Source: MICS, 2010.

60 Improving Child Nutrition CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

ESSENTIAL NUTRITION PRACTICES AND INTERVENTIONS DURING THE LIFE CYCLE

PREGNANCY BIRTH 0–5 MONTHS 6–23 MONTHS 24–59 MONTHS

Use of iron-folic Early initiation of breastfeeding International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes No – 43% acid supplements (within 1 hour of birth) Maternity protection in accordance with ILO Convention 183 Partial Households with Exclusive breastfeeding Introduction to solid, semi-solid 65% Infants not weighed at birth 39% 34% 56% adequately iodized salt (<6 months) or soft foods (6–8 months) Continued breastfeeding at 1 year old 86% Minimum dietary diversity – To increase child survival, promote child development Minimum acceptable diet – and prevent stunting, nutrition interventions need to be delivered during pregnancy and the first two years of life. Full coverage of vitamin A supplementation 0% Treatment of severe acute malnutrition Yes included in national health plans MICRONUTRIENTS Anaemia Iodized salt trends * Vitamin A supplementation Prevalence of anaemia among Percentage of households with adequately Percentage of children 6–59 months old selected populations iodized salt receiving two doses of vitamin A during 55,000 newborns are unprotected against iodine calendar year (full coverage) deficiency disorders (2011) 100% 100%

80% 80% 87 86 76 87 NO DATA 78 60% 60% 62 65 68 40% 40%

20% 20% 8 0 0 0% 0% 1998 2000 2006 2010 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Other NS MICS MICS MICS

* Estimates may not be comparable. Source: UNICEF, 2012.

MATERNAL WATER AND SANITATION NUTRITION AND HEALTH Improved drinking water coverage Improved sanitation coverage Maternal mortality ratio, adjusted Percentage of population, by type of drinking Percentage of population, by type of sanitation 890 (2010) (per 100,000 live births) water source, 1990–2010 facility, 1990–2010

Maternal mortality ratio, reported Piped on premises Other improved Improved facilities Shared facilities 540 (2006) (per 100,000 live births) Unimproved Surface water Unimproved facilities Open defecation 2 1 Total number of maternal deaths 1,400 (2010) 100% 100% 13 4 7 6 10 3 20 19 20 Lifetime risk of maternal death (1 in : ) 26 (2010) 35 31 80% 29 80% 30 49 Women with low BMI ( <18.5 kg/m 2, %) – – 29 43 34 28 57 Anaemia, non-pregnant women ( <120g/l, %) – – 60% 60% 86 24 27 70 48 Antenatal care (at least one visit, %) 68 (2010) 40% 40% 65 18 Antenatal care (at least four visits, %) 38 (2010) 55 12 44 14 47 51 20% 20% 43 Skilled attendant at birth (%) 54 (2010) 6 34 21 2 28 11 Low birthweight ( <2,500 grams, %) 14 (2010) 0% 3 2 8 6 0 0 0% 5 1990 2010 1990 2010 1990 2010 1990 2010 1990 2010 1990 2010 Women 20–24 years old who gave birth Total Urban Rural Total Urban Rural 45 (2010) before age 18 (%) Source: WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2012. Source: WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2012.

DISPARITIES IN NUTRITION

Gender Residence Wealth quintile

Indicator Ratio of Ratio of Ratio of Source Male Female male to Urban Rural urban to Poorest Second Middle Fourth Richest richest to Equity chart female rural poorest

Stunting prevalence (%) 44 38 1.2 38 42 0.9 45 45 41 39 30 0.7 MICS, 2010

Underweight prevalence (%) 26 21 1.2 23 24 1.0 26 25 22 24 19 0.7 MICS, 2010 Breastfed and Wasting prevalence (%) 9 6 1.5 8 7 1.1 8 7 6 8 9 1.1 MICS, 2010

Women with low BMI ( <18.5 kg/m 2, %) – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Women with high BMI ( *25 kg/m 2, %) – – – – – – – – – – – – _

Nutrition Profiles 61