Auditing causality of the multiple-burden of malnutrition in India and South Africa: a critical need for directions

Abstract

Developing economies are shaped by the current predicament of urbanisation and its impact on health is inevitable. In the post-pandemic times, India and South Africa witnessed a GDP growth rate of about 1·7 % and 1·9 %, respectively, while the developed economies like Europe and the USA have bounced back with more than 2 % GDP. The similarities and differences between India and South Africa provide potential candidates to study nutrition transition with the elements of urbanisation. In both countries, increased access to convenience foods is a consequence of the rapid expansion of small and medium enterprises, open international markets and expanding food supply chains. Also, there has been significant acculturation and people have moved away from traditional diets in these two countries. A spate of similar changes in the food environment is a telling sign of serious ill-health consequences in both countries. Generating evidence on causality is fundamental to informing policy. India and South Africa qualify as potential candidates to study the multiple burdens of malnutrition. Collaborating with different disciplines such as data sciences and capacitating analytic skills are key to progress in this direction.