KUALA LUMPUR: Malnutrition among children under five in the capital city is worrying, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (pic).
He said National Health and Morbidity Survey data showed that 23.4% of children in Kuala Lumpur were stunted, while 12.4% were underweight, 8.1% were wasting away and 7.5% 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.
Dzulkefly was speaking at the launch of the Urban Community Feeding Programme (PCF Bandar) at the Muhibbah Community Complex here, Bernama reported.
He said the country is grappling with a double burden of malnutrition, with undernutrition existing alongside overnutrition.
He said his 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, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables every two weeks.
