Latest news with #LaoSocialIndicatorSurvey
The Star
3 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Malnutrition stunts children's growth in Laos
VIENTIANE: 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. "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 South-East 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) 2024 report titled "Child Food Poverty: Nutrition Deprivation in Early Childhood,' revealed that poor diet quality contributes to child malnutrition in South-East 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. In Laos, the government has taken measures to address the public health issue, targeting to reduce child stunting by 25 per cent by 2030. "The government aims to create a healthier population by addressing the root causes of malnutrition and ensuring that children are given the chance to grow, learn and contribute to the country's future,' reported Vientiane Times. - Bernama
Barnama
3 days ago
- Health
- Barnama
Malnutrition Stunts Children's Growth In Laos
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. bootstrap slideshow '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.
South China Morning Post
24-03-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
In Laos, 1 in 3 children has stunted growth despite surplus rice
Laos is facing worsening child malnutrition, with experts warning that the country's economic challenges and underfunding for agriculture are contributing to the crisis, leaving thousands of children at risk of experiencing stunted growth and other serious health complications. Advertisement At the 10th National Nutrition Forum in Vientiane, speakers from global agencies and academia said there was a need for comprehensive measures to tackle the crisis, as failure to do so would hurt the Laotian economy. 'Adequate nutrition is essential for a child's growth, intelligence and future earnings,' Alexander Kremer, the World Bank 's country manager in Laos, said at the forum on Tuesday. 'Unfortunately, Laos faces extremely high rates of childhood malnutrition.' Deputy Prime Minister Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune said it was 'important that we build on our past progress and recommit ourselves to ensuring every woman and child' in Laos had access to good nutrition 'so they can thrive and fully contribute towards the nation's development.' Despite years of efforts to tackle the problem, Laos continues to struggle with alarming levels of childhood malnutrition. Advertisement Stunted growth due to a chronic lack of nutrition affected nearly one in every three children under the age of five in Laos as of 2023, according to data from the Lao Social Indicator Survey. About 10.7 per cent of Laotian children were classified as wasting, meaning they were dangerously thin for their height, while 24.3 per cent of them were underweight for their age.
