Malnutrition Stunts Children's Growth In Laos

Barnama

6 days ago

A Loa village was hit by heavy rainfall on July 24. Laos faces a major task in tackling malnutrition among children (illustration photo). Photo credit: Vientiane Times
PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Bernama) -- Laos is facing a malnutrition plight among children, with nearly 44 per cent of children under the age of five affected by stunted growth.
There are about 385,000 such cases in the country, with 20 per cent of Lao children already stunted by the age of six months, reported the Vientiane Times.
According to the Lao Social Indicator Survey, nearly two million people in Laos, mostly women and children, suffer from some form of undernutrition.
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'Chronic malnutrition remains a major concern, with 35.6 per cent of children under five showing signs of long-term undernourishment,' said the news report.
Child food poverty among children in the Southeast Asian region has been a pressing issue, largely due to poverty and access to quality food in remote areas.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) last year's report titled 'Child Food Poverty: Nutrition Deprivation in Early Childhood,' revealed that poor diet quality contributes to child malnutrition in Southeast Asia.
'Twenty-six per cent of children under five have stunted growth, more than half suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, and child overweight and obesity are a rising concern,' said UNICEF.
According to the report, around the world, one in four children is living in severe child food poverty in early childhood, amounting to about 180 million children under the age of five.
'Severe child food poverty is driving child undernutrition. The prevalence of severe child food poverty is three times higher in countries with a high prevalence of child stunting,' said the global agency.