PETALING JAYA: Almost 22% or one in five children under five years of age are suffering from stunted growth due to malnutrition, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Professor of Nutrition Dr Poh Bee Koon told theSun.
“The nutritional status of children appears to be worsening, and based on National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) data from 2011, 2015 and 2019 for stunting, the increase in prevalence is from 16.6% to 17.7% and 21.8% respectively.
“We need policies and strategies that will tackle malnutrition. Fortification of food with essential nutrients that are commonly lacking in the diet is also important.
“For example, the Health Ministry recently announced mandatory fortification of iron and folic acid for wheat flour,” she said.
Poh stressed the urgent need to improve access to health and a variety of foods while simultaneously increasing public nutrition education and health promotion, particularly targeted at young parents.
Milk and dairy products are good, she said, adding that most importantly, affordable sources of animal protein, amino acids and bone-fortifying nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus must be made readily available and provided to children. These are important components of children’s diet to ensure they attain their growth and developmental potential, she said.
The NHMS conducted in 2017 showed Malaysian children do not consume sufficient dairy products, while that in 2019 showed a rise in the prevalence of stunting, with 21.8% of children under five years being affected.
The recent information in the South East Asian Nutrition Surveys II conducted in the peninsula by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia found that 84% and 70% of children do not meet the average intake requirement of vitamin D and calcium respectively.
It also found one in three children do not consume breakfast daily, while 40% of those under four years have anaemia, which can impact their cognitive development, physical growth and immunity.
The survey found low dairy consumption with one in four children consuming a portion size of less than 100ml of dairy, fewer than five times a week.
Meanwhile, Dutch Lady Milk Industries Berhad (DLMI) managing director Ramjeet Kaur Virik said public-private partnership is crucial to address stunting and malnutrition among children.
“The government must be more inclusive in its strategic planning and address stunting and malnutrition among children by inviting the private sector to develop holistic, long-term solutions to address this national health agenda,” she said.
She stressed the situation is worrying for the future of the country’s youth.
“The government has recognised this health crisis and has set up a special committee to combat malnutrition, particularly in the B40 community.
“The committee comprises personnel from the Health, Education, Women, Family and Community Development and National Unity ministries,” Ramjeet said.
She added that DLMI has been part of the School Milk Programme and from 2011-2017, it distributed 165 million packs of milk to 4.3 million pupils in Perak, Selangor, Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
