The Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay, said it was unacceptable that many children in Bhutan continue to face lack of proper nutrition.
A study conducted by the Ministry of Health says 35 percent of Bhutanese children are stunted due to lack of proper nutrition. One third of Bhutanese children are stunted, out of which, again, one third are severely stunted.
The study also says stunting among the children is more apparent among the low income group and in Eastern Bhutan.
Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, while speaking at a high-level consultative meeting on maternal and child nutrition in Bhutan, said a lot needs to be done to reach out to all the children in the country.
The health ministry conducted the meeting today to inform the leaders and decision makers on nutritional problems the country is facing.
Stunting occurred in households with food shortage. According to studies stunting occurred in early life, from conception till a child is two years old. That period is when nutrition is most important.
One area of focus was the lack of nutrition for mothers and children. Over 80 percent of mothers who go to the National Referral Hospital are anemic.
The meeting also saw various presentations on nutrition in Bhutan and in the South East Asia region. Proper hygiene and sanitation was also a contributing factor that needed to be addressed.
Out of the 165 million children in the world who are stunted, 64 million are in South Asia. Stakeholders from the government, Civil Society Organization and International Agencies took part in the meeting.
