Child Malnutrition Crisis In KL A Growing Concern - Dzulkefly

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- Malnutrition among children under five in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur is worrying, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

He said National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) data showed that 23.4 per cent of children in Kuala Lumpur were stunted, while 12.4 per cent were underweight, 8.1 per cent were affected by wasting and 7.5 per cent were overweight.

“These figures are more than just statistics. Behind every percentage is a child going through a critical stage of development, and a family hoping for the support they need,” he said when launching the Urban Community Feeding Programme (PCF Bandar) with the Seputeh MP  at the Muhibbah Community Complex here.

Also present was Seputeh MP Teresa Kok Suh Sim.

Dzulkefly said the country is grappling with a double burden of malnutrition, with undernutrition existing alongside overnutrition.

He said the Health Ministry is taking a proactive approach by going into communities to identify at-risk children who do not regularly attend health facilities.

As part of the intervention, he said the PCF Bandar model, introduced on a pilot basis in 2013, provides affected children aged one to six with six months of structured support, including monthly growth monitoring, nutritious food baskets, and fresh fruit and vegetables every two weeks.

In Seputeh, the six-month intervention programme is being funded through a partnership with Kok, following similar programmes in the Lembah Pantai and Wangsa Maju constituencies.

-- BERNAMA