More than 20% of children are stunted, says Khairy
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MORE than 20% of children in Malaysia have stunted growth, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, with Covid-19 lockdowns among the possible reasons for the increase.
He said stunting in children in 2015 was 17%, and the increase makes it a serious problem that must be addressed.
“Now it is beyond 20% and we hope to see the figure drop to 12.3% by 2025, and to at least 8% in 2030,” Khairy said today when launching the #anakmalaysiasihat campaign in Putrajaya.
He said the higher figure could have been due to movement-control orders during the last two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We don’t know if children were getting proper nutrition that they require during the two years of lockdown, so that could be a factor as well,” he said.
To identify the main reasons, more in-depth research is needed, he said, adding that the Health Ministry has established a committee for this purpose.
On where the problem is worst, Khairy said stunting rates are highest in Kelantan, followed by Putrajaya.
“For Putrajaya, we have to look back to see what are the factors because it is known to be one of the highest-income earning cities in Malaysia,” he said.
“So the reason could be daycare centres not following the menu that is given by the Health Ministry. We will inform the public once we have the answers.”
He said stunted growth should not be taken lightly as it not only affects children’s mental and physical development and social health, it could also lead to death.
“According to a study by the United Nations Children’s Fund, almost half of all deaths of children under the age of five worldwide are related to malnutrition,” he said.
Data obtained from studies done by FrieslandCampina, between 2019 and 2021, showed more than 70% of children in four countries in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, lack nutrition or malnutrition, especially calcium and vitamin D in a balanced diet that can stunt their growth and development.
Eighty-four per cent of children in the four countries involved – Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam – also do not meet the average requirement for vitamin D. – June 27, 2022.