PUTRAJAYA: The price of milk formula and access to staple food protein sources for children will be the primary focus of the Special Committee to Combat Multiple Nutrition Problems in Children.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said it was easy for him to advise parents to buy milk formula and healthy food, but the main issue was the volatile prices of food sources.
With this in mind, he had urged the committee to focus on the problem of stunted growth involving children nationwide, which has become a worrying issue.
He said obesity should also not be taken lightly because it not only poses a challenge to mental and physical health and wellbeing but also affects their social interaction, and obesity could prove fatal.
"This committee will address all issues related to nutrition and food. It includes involving food preparation as well as access to adequate food portions for children in the form of protein sources, affordable milk formula and their cost.
"The committee will discuss the cost involved and make specific recommendations so that access to food sources such as protein needs for the growth of these children can be better addressed.
"(The Health Ministry) understands that it is easy for us to ask these parents to buy milk and healthy food for their children, but the basic price is now uncertain," he said.
Khairy said this in conjunction with the #AnakMalaysiaSihat Media Programme event at his ministry, here, today.
Also present was Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff.
Khairy said the committee's first meeting today saw the participation of his ministry as well as the Education; Women, Family and Community Development; and, the National Unity ministries.
He said the country was also facing a double burden in the form of increased malnutrition among children under the age of five and obesity among adults.
"The ministry aims to reduce the rate of malnutrition in children nationwide to eight per cent by 2030 compared to 21.3 per cent in 2019.
"We are sure that the number (malnutrition) has increased now during the pandemic, because we do not know the nutrition (status) of these children during the pandemic which may be linked to their socio-economy (status)," he said.
Khairy said there were various factors which contributed to the stunted growth of children, including socio-demographics, whether urban or rural, household income, ethnic group, occupation and level of education.
He said the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was expected to increase the trend of nutritional problems among children, especially those from the low-income families.
"This problem occurs in almost all states, with the highest percentage being recorded in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Putrajaya," he said.
Commenting on the stunted children's growth in Putrajaya, Khairy said his ministry would look more closely at how malnutrition could occur in the government's administrative centre.
"We have to look at the environment, the work culture or maybe there are not enough care-centre facilities. We need an in-depth study of how regions with relatively high incomes face the problem of stunted growth and obesity," he said.