The regional directors of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the Near East and North Africa, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) for the Middle East and North Africa, the World Food Program (WFP) for the Middle East and North Africa and the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Middle East on Monday launched a pilot framework for cooperation on child malnutrition. The initiative, which was launched in Cairo, is part of the four agencies' collaborative efforts to address the pressing issue of malnutrition in the region, and is a milestone in their ongoing commitment to pool efforts and expertise in supporting countries to set priorities and take effective and speedy action on nutrition, according to a statement. It aims to facilitate joint support, cooperation and technical coordination at the regional level to expedite action on nutrition in the regional countries, it said. Despite strides made since 1990, and with the prevalence of chronic undernutrition decreasing from 19.1 percent in 2012 to 15.3 percent in 2022, challenges persist in the region, as the high prevalence of stunting affecting children under five in 6 out of 25 countries is a matter of concern, jeopardizing the physical growth and cognitive development of 7.5 million children, the statement said. Wasting, the most lethal form of malnutrition, remains a significant issue in specific countries, and the average regional wasting rate of over 6 percent masks alarming levels exceeding 15 percent in certain countries, it said. The number of children under 5 years of age living with overweight and obesity in the Middle East and North Africa has remained stagnant at 5 million for the past decade, added the statement.
Source: Jordan News Agency