KATHMANDU: Nepal is hosting the Global Gathering on Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) on coming November 4-7.
During the gathering, it is all set to share with the international community about the progress it has achieved so far in the nutrition sector and related future programs as well.
The SUN global gathering is being held first time in South Asia.
It may be noted that the National Planning Commission (NPC) had first time implemented the five-year multi-sectoral nutrition plan in 2013. With the successful implementation of the first project, the second plan is being implemented and it covers 610 local levels of 62 districts identified as the districts with poor nutrition status.
According to NPC Spokesperson Dr. Kiran Rupakheti, the nutrition programs mainly focused on education, health, agriculture and women groups have significantly contributed to scaling up nutrition level and thus combating malnutrition issues.
State of Nutrition and children in Nepal
According to the report titled ‘The State of the World’s Children 2019: Children, Food and Nutrition’ published by UNICEF recently, 36 percent of Nepali children below five years were stunted, 27 percent under-weight, 1.2 percent were overweight and 10 percent of them were suffering from wasting (low weight for height).
Likewise, the prevalence of women of reproductive age-group with obesity was recorded at 22 percent while 17 percent of women were under-weight.
Another statistic shows that one every three children under five were either stunted or overweight or suffering from wasting across the world.
Similarly, the Nepal National Micronutrient Status Survey -2016 that assessed micronutrient status among representative populations in Nepal had concluded that 32 percent of the teenagers in the country were stunted due to the risk of food crisis.
Children and adolescents are being deprived of going to school due to acute poverty and malnutrition. The number of stunted children in the privileged family among the representatives populations stood at 16.5 and around 50 percent of the children coming from underprivileged communities are stunted.
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