The Church has 375,000 faithful members in less-developed countries (LDCs) who live in absolute poverty. In addition, 50,000 children from faithful families are malnourished, and one can point to 5300 annual cases of severe preventable disability among faithful members (mostly children) and 900 annual deaths (85 percent of whom are children) in this same group which could have been pre-vented at very little cost. This panel will discuss the health/nutrition status of LDS children in LDCs and the long-term effects of childhood malnutrition, the pragmatic and philosophical rationale for the present situation, and the potential for meaningful, cost-effective intervention from a Church and non-Church standpoint.

Robert A. Rees, Brad Walker, Polly Sheffield, Warner P. Woodworth, Sandra Hernandez, Teresa Fuentes, Gladys Guerrero