itaqiz/Child_Nutrition_Gambia_MICS6

Data-driven analysis of child malnutrition in The Gambia using UNICEF MICS6 survey data , stunting, wasting & underweight disaggregated by region, wealth & sex, with an AI-assisted insight layer. Aligned with SDG 2 & 3. Built as a portfolio project for evidence-based child welfare programming. # For Every Child, Evidence: Child Nutrition Analysis in The Gambia *A data-driven contribution to understanding and addressing child malnutrition, aligned with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), using UNICEF's MICS6 household survey data.* ## 📌 Overview Malnutrition remains one of the most persistent barriers to child survival, growth, and development worldwide — and The Gambia is no exception. Leaving no child behind requires more than national averages; it requires understanding **where** and **for whom** malnutrition is most severe, so that resources and programming can reach those furthest behind first. This project analyzes the **Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 6 (MICS6)** under-5 children's dataset — a nationally representative survey conducted by The Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS) in partnership with UNICEF — to surface actionable disparities in child nutrition outcomes, supported by an AI-assisted layer for rapid, plain-language insight generation. ## 🎯 Key Findings | Indicator | National Prevalence (weighted) | |---|---| | Stunting (chronic malnutrition) | 18.9% | | Underweight | 13.8% | | Wasting (acute malnutrition) | 6.2% | - **Geographic inequity:** Stunting nearly doubles between the best- and worst-performing regions — from 14.5% in Kanifing to 26.5% in Kuntaur — underscoring the need for geographically targeted responses. - **Wealth inequity:** Children in the poorest households are stunted at nearly **twice the rate** of children in the richest households (24.0% vs 13.0%), reflecting how poverty and undernutrition remain deeply linked. - **Gender dimension:** Boys show higher stunting prevalence than girls (21.5% vs 16.3%), a pattern consistent with global evidence and worth further investigation at the country level. These findings echo UNICEF's core message: **national averages can mask the inequities that matter most**, and disaggregated data is essential to reach the most vulnerable children first. ## 🌍 A …