Dili, july 5, 2021 (TATOLI) Minister of Health (MoH) and its development partners officially launched the National Action plan for Nutrition and Food Security to reduce stunting and wasting children in Timor-Leste.
The Coordinator of Cabinet for Civil Society, Filipe da Costa in his presentation highlighted three important points that need to be implemented to reduce the number of stunting children cause by mall nutrition.
“Implementing food insecurity at the family level, involving young people and obese women,” he said.
at this point, he stresses that the workshop will provide the effectiveness of the National Action Plan for Timor-Leste to reach the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
The Vice-Minister of Health, Bonifacio Maucoli dos Reis acknowledge Food Security and Nutrition is most important to be developing through the proper mechanisms as it always affects vulnerable children.
“Since 2020 World Health Organization related that the estimation of 149 million of wasting children under 5 years old compares to their ages and At least 45 children died less than five years due to malnutrition problem, this issues mostly happen for the countries have less income, included of Timor-Leste.” Vice-Minister, Maucoli said.
Despite recent progress, Timor-Leste has some of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world.
Following the report from 2020, regarding the Timor-Leste food and Nutrition survey, 47% of children between 0-59 months suffered from chronic malnutrition stunting, while 8.6% suffer from acute malnutrition.
Likewise the Representative of the United International Children Emergency Fund’s (UNICEF), Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani said the prevalence of stunting is considered ‘’very high’’ according to World Health Organization (WHO) data obtained by UNICEF between 2010 and 2020, there is the progress of the malnourished problem and the country continue to registered 30%.
According to Mr. Bilal, 47% of childhood malnutrition and stunting in the country mostly face difficulties in brain development.
He added that the first integrated food security phase classification (IPC) analysis in Timor-Leste found that only a quarter (25%) of the population is considered food secure. 36% suffer choric food security, including 21 who experience moderate chronic food insecurity and 15% who experience severe chronic food insecurity. Mostly it is predicted to further exacerbate the food and nutrition insecurity situation refer to the vulnerable situation.
The report shows the municipalities with a high record of malnutrition including 63.4% in Ermera, 60.3%, and Oe-cussi 57% While the percentage also shows even less weight in municipalities such as Bobonaro, Ermera, and Oe-cussi.
Journalists: Jose Belarmino De Sa
Editor: Rafy Belo
