[ti:Hunger Costs Ethiopian Economy Billions Of Dollars] [ar:June Simms] [al:Education Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]From VOA Learning English, [00:02.00]this is the Education Report. [00:05.68]A new study shows that child hunger [00:09.31]costs Ethiopia billions of dollars a year [00:13.30]in economic losses. [00:15.15]The research showed that in 2009, [00:19.03]the country lost an estimated $4.7 billion [00:24.50]because its children do not get enough to eat, [00:28.38]that is equal to 16.5 percent of its Gross Domestic Product. [00:35.56]The report says poor nutrition has slowed growth [00:40.34]and development in two of every five children in Ethiopia, [00:45.96]and it says 80 percent of malnourished children [00:51.30]do not get treatments. [00:54.23]The African Union Commission, [00:56.77]the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) [00:59.61]and Ethiopian government agencies did the study. [01:03.90]The research shows that malnutrition [01:07.53]causes more than 20 percent of child deaths in Ethiopia. [01:12.16]And the report notes that the deaths have reduced [01:16.59]the number of working people in the country by eight percent. [01:21.52]Elizabeth Byrs is a World Food Program official. [01:25.26]"The study estimates that Ethiopia [01:28.04]could reduce losses by $12.5 billion by 2025, [01:36.51]if it reduces underweight rates [01:41.05]to five percent and stunting to 10 percent." [01:46.18]The report says under developed or stunted children [01:51.55]in early education repeat grades more than non-stunted children. [01:57.32]In addition, stunted children in Ethiopia [02:01.28]are more likely to drop out of school, [02:04.16]meaning they will end their education before it is completed. [02:09.93]Mrs Byrs said the effects of stunting do not end with childhood. [02:15.17]Instead, she said, stunting remains a life-long problem. [02:21.14]She said it affects both those who suffer from it, [02:24.82]and the larger society. [02:27.61]The report says nearly 70 percent of adults in Ethiopia [02:33.05]have suffered from stunting as children. [02:35.93]It says this means more than 26 million people of working age [02:42.26]have not been able to reach their potential. [02:46.04]The report notes that adults who were stunted as children [02:50.68]are less likely to have jobs that require a lot of physical labor, [02:56.56]because they generally are smaller. [02:59.74]It says this results in earnings losses. [03:04.12]Mrs Byrs said the Ethiopian government recently launched [03:09.60]a half-billion dollar National Nutrition Program, [03:13.49]because the effects of the malnutrition are so severe. [03:17.77]She said the government's program would provide food [03:22.35]and vitamins to young children from birth through age 5. [03:27.78]She said the goal is to prevent stunting [03:31.56]during the first 1,000 days of life. [03:35.44]Mrs Byrs also said the program will increase school feeding programs. [03:41.46]She said support programs for pregnant and breast-feeding women [03:46.85]will be developed in health centers and hospitals. [03:50.58]And that's the Education Report from VOA Learning English, [03:55.82]I'm June Simms. [03:57.71]¸ü¶àÌýÁ¦Çë·ÃÎÊ51voa.com