On setting and implementing a stunting reduction agenda
Action points for country programme implementers
Overview
Stunting refers to low height-for-age as a result of chronic malnutrition. Stunted children are short for their age but not necessarily thin.
Stunting has negative consequences for a child’s physical and mental development. Children who are stunted tend to achieve lower scores on intelligence tests and are more likely to become sick from infections. By adult life, they are at higher risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
But stunting is about more than just health. The healthcare costs which stunting generates and its impact on adult productivity also make it an economic issue. Investing in the reduction of childhood stunting is a sustainable way to boost national development.
There is political will to reduce stunting in many countries, but those implementing programmes face many challenges:
- How to coordinate the many stakeholders required
- A shortage of resources
- How to design programmes that truly address context-specific needs