Experts stress on measures needed to parry malnutrition defects

Kathmandu / January 7: Experts have stressed on the need to adopt necessary measures on saving children from malnutrition citing that the development of 80 per cent of their mental order stems from the experiences in the first two years of birth.

At an interaction programme organized by the Civil Society Alliance for Nutrition Nepal (CSANN), participants noted the long-term impact due to the children suffering from malnutrition in the nascent period and the impracticable use of treatment to cure them. The data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) has alarmingly stated that an infant dies every second in the world owing to malnutrition.

Nepal Government’s former secretary and Nepal Malnutrition Academy Advisor Atmaran Pandey said the number of children suffering from malnutrition remained high in Nepal, which was further aggravated after the recent massive earthquake. “As all the programmes targeting nutrition have fallen short of meeting the target of integrated goal, those suffering from malnutrition are huge and it has increased after the earthquake”.

He also called for an integrated approach in regard to advancing the programmes of making all nutritious.

National Planning Commission Programme Director Radha Krishna Pradhan said poverty alone was not related to the cause of malnutrition seen in the country while adding that the trend of giving importance to readymade food commodities available in the market has resulted in families’ contribution to increment in malnutrition. He called for controlling such trend which feeds malnutrition.

As per the population survey carried out in 2011, 41 percent of children are suffering from malnutrition and stunted growth, and that 11 per cent are subjected to emaciation while 29 per cent are suffering from under- weight.

At least 46 per cent of the total numbers of children below five years of age are found to be suffering from anemia. RSS