The role of intestinal parasite infections in child undernutrition and (change in) body fat in Mozambique

An increasing number of low and middle income countries (LMICs) face a substantial shift in burden of disease. While they still struggle to reduce infectious disease burdens, overweight/obesity and related non--‐communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are emerging in epidemic proportions. It is well--‐known that early child stunting poses a major risk for these chronic disease outcomes. However, policies to address these risk factors are mainly developed from a nutritional perspective only, often with detrimental results. For example, food policies to address child undernutrition have been shown to exacerbate adult obesity, contributing further to chronic disease risks. The role of parasitic infections in obesity and related chronic diseases has so far been understudied. Nevertheless, parasitic infections are very common in LMICs, and are well established as a cause of child stunting. Additionally, they have been linked to overweight/obesity. Hence, targeting parasitic infections may be a novel strategy to combat non--‐communicable diseases. Mozambique is an example of a country in transition, with high parasite endemicity, high child undernutrition and rapidly emerging overweight, obesity and related chronic disease risks. This PhD will explore in depth the role of parasitic infection in relation to the dual burden of undernutrition and obesity in Mozambique.