Date Published: 27 April 2012

Complementary feeding campaign launched in Cambodia

See also:
What is malnutrition ? List of undernutrition diseases

The Royal Government of Cambodia together with UNICEF, USAID and the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners has launched a nationwide campaign to ensure children aged between 6 and 24 months receive adequate nutrition from a combination of complementary food and breast milk.

In Cambodia, malnutrition affects the majority of children under the age of five. It is so widespread because many people cannot afford nutritious food. The consequences of malnutrition can be severe - there are many undernutrition diseases that can result from undernutrition. It is one of the main underlying causes of child mortality and morbidity in Cambodia. The lasting repercussions of malnutrition can continue into adulthood, impairing both mental and physical development and resulting in poor performance in school and limited opportunities for work in later life.

" By seeking to improve complementary feeding for children 6 to 24 months we are addressing one of the major barriers to Cambodia reaching its full potential in the future ? the healthy development of its children," said UNICEF Deputy Representative Sunah Kim.

The impact of malnutrition can be clearly seen across Cambodia. About 40% of children age five below are too small for their age. Another 28% are underweight. Cambodian women are equally susceptible to malnutrition with 19% of women aged between 15 and 49 considered too thin, which increases the risk of complications during birth and leads to low birth weight for their babies.

Professor Eng Huot, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Health, noted that although promoting breastfeeding was successful, a shortage of appropriate complementary feeding was still the main factor contributing to high malnutrition rates in the country.

"Mothers and caregivers have an important role to ensure children receive appropriate and quality complementary food," he said.

The campaign, financially supported by Spain through the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund and USAID, will encourage mothers and caregivers to adopt and maintain improved complementary feeding by ensuring that the right food is given to young children in the right way and at the right time.

As part of the campaign to help promote the adoption of good practices in relation to appropriate complementary feeding, messages will be broadcast on television and radio. A Child Health Fair will use a training video to show mothers and caregivers how to prepare nutritious complementary food.

Ultimately the campaign should help improve the nutritional status of Cambodian children, reduce child malnutrition and accelerate achievement of the Millennium Development Goals 1 and 4: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; and reduce child mortality.

See also What is malnutrition ? and List of undernutrition diseases.

About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

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