Disease and malnutrition continue to be the major problems of Africa's children. Droughts and other natural disasters in various regions (Abbas, 1978) civil wars and guerrilla warfare have exacerbated these problems. Many international agencies such as the World Health Organization, the United States Agency for International Development, United Nations Children's Fund and Oxfam have been attempting to help in development and education, and relief when necessary. Some countries are also using their own resources for programs in maternal and child health and nutrition education.

Intestinal parasitism is widespread in Africa. We now know that infestation with Ascaris lumbricoides affects nutrition and growth of children. Not only do parasites deprive their hosts of nutrients, they impair intestinal absorption of fat, nitrogen and vitamin A and may reduce food intake (Crompton & Nesheim, 1982).

Unfortunately, we do not have data, as we had for European and European-derived populations, to assess whether secular increase in size has taken place in specific African populations. We have no new studies on the same populations that we reported in the first edition. However, some investigators have considered secular change in Africa. Billewicz & McGregor (1982) have pointed out that in 25 years there has been no secular increase in the Gambian villages of Keneba and Manduar. Prazuck et al. (1988), comparing the individual tribal groups, reported no change in adult male stature in Mali since 1885.

There are many new data from different regions, coming from well-off, rural and tribal groups. In general fewer parameters have been reported than for the groups we discussed in the first edition. Here we have mostly weight, height, arm circumference and triceps skinfold.