ASEAN, despite impressive economic growth and cultural diversity, is still facing the double burden of malnutrition. Under-nutrition and obesity remain to be a big threat across the region.
In 80% of ASEAN Member States, an estimated 5.4 million children suffer wasting and 17.9 million children are stunted. While undernutrition is a major factor contributing to child’s illness, overnutrition or obesity among children under five years is high at 10% and the trend is still going up.
To address these forms of malnutrition, the Philippines’ National Nutrition Council is hosting the ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Collaborative Workshop on Nutrition Security in Pasay City. At the workshop, delegates from ten ASEAN Member States discuss how to further collaborate on food security and nutrition among sectors such as agriculture, public health and nutrition, and social welfare. They agree that coherent and synergistic actions are crucial in scaling up and accelerating progress toward better nutrition at the country and regional levels.
Moreover, the workshop aims to agree on the provisions of the proposed ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Ending All Forms of Malnutrition and the planned establishment of the ASEAN Nutrition Surveillance System.
Prevalence of stunting (low height-for-age) and wasting (low weight-for-age) among children under five remains a severe public health problem in ASEAN Member States. This is according to the 2016 Regional Report on Nutrition Security in ASEAN, Volume 2 published by the ASEAN, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The efforts to address malnutrition in all its forms is a priority in the ASEAN Post-2015 Health Development Agenda under the Health Cluster 1 work program target to promote good nutrition and healthy diets.
Participants include delegates from the ministries of health, agriculture, and social welfare of the ASEAN Member States. Representatives from the UNICEF East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office, World Health Organisation for Western Pacific and South-East Asia regional offices, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for Asia and Pacific, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, will serve as resource persons providing technical updates on global nutrition goals, strategies, and areas for collaboration.
###
