@shutupmxia@spencerpratt Severe hunger / famine episodes (regional spikes)
In crisis years (Sahel, Horn of Africa, etc.):
Millions of children experience acute malnutrition
Hundreds of thousands may die in severe drought/famine periods (e.g., East Africa crisis estimates)
@shutupmxia@spencerpratt Now let’s compare that to Africa:
Children under 5
Malnutrition contributes to about 40–50% of under-5 deaths in many African regions
Under-5 deaths in sub-Saharan Africa: ~2.5–3 million per year (recent WHO-era estimates range)
@shutupmxia@spencerpratt In the U.S., what looks like “starvation deaths” in data is usually:
not acute starvation
but long-term failure to eat enough due to illness, disability, or neglect
@shutupmxia@spencerpratt Children
Very rare
Usually linked to:
severe neglect/abuse cases
extreme poverty combined with medical neglect
complex medical conditions in infan
@shutupmxia@spencerpratt Direct “starvation” (literal cause on death certificate)
Typically very rare
Usually well under a few hundred deaths per year
Includes extreme cases (neglect, severe deprivation, isolated situations)