Malnutrition: Still Challenging In Nepal

Abstract

Methodology This is an analysis of secondary data of Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2011, Multi-sector Nutrition Plan of Nepal and Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014. This is also the comparative analysis along with challenges. Only 4 percentage point stunting decreased among less than five children in last five years which is far behind the MDG target 28 percent. According to the MICS 2014, there are 37 out of 100 less than five children found stunted (too short for age) and 30% are underweight (very low weight for age) and 11% are wasted (very low weight for height) in Nepal. Among them about one third are severely affected by different forms of under nutrition so far. Which is very high than in developed country like in UK only 2% stunted. Underweight has gone up by 30% in 2014 from 29% in 2011 NDHS whereas the MDG target was 27 percent by 2015. Despite of huge governmental and donor resources since fifteen years wasting is remaining the same. Regarding women's malnutrition there were 18% undernutrition and about 14% women were over nutrition in 2011 in Nepal which shows that side by side over nutrition is also increasing than 9% in 2006 NDHS. It's unfortunate that since long ago, malnutrition is not decreasing as anticipated in Nepal. Thus further assessment and barriers analysis is very urgent to downsize these indicators.