Malnutrition on rise in Kunar, says health official

ASADABAD (Pajhwok): The number of children suffering from malnutrition in eastern Kunar province has increased now compared to the past, an official said on Sunday.

Dr. Shahabuddin, head of the Malnutrition Section at the Public Health Department, said the previous year (1399 solar year) 32,665 children suffered from malnutrition registered with them.

Last year, (1,400) solar year 55,296 children suffered from malnutrition, he added.

He said 10 percent of these children suffered from superficial malnutrition who did not need hospitalization, eighteen percent suffered from medium malnutrition and 12 percent were in critical condition.

He did not say how many children currently suffering from malnutrition are hospitalized in the province.

Dr. Shahab said poverty, deteriorated economic conditions and lack of proper food intake were some of the reasons behind growing malnutrition

He said UNICEF and WFP have launched nitration of children suffering from malnutrition in some hospitals.

The residents of Kunar are concerned over the growing number of malnutrition children in the province.

Shinkai, the resident of Chapa Dara district, who brought her one-year-old child to the hospital in Asadabad said she did not know her child was suffering from malnutrition.

She stressed public awareness regarding malnutrition adding that most people still did not take their children to the hospital and it was a dangerous issue.

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