Nutrition in Nepal: a national development priority
Nepal has a very high rate of child malnutrition: half (49%) of children under five are stunted and one third (39%) are underweight. Maternal undernutrition is also a significant problem in Nepal: One in four (24%) women of reproductive age has chronic energy deficiency (Body Mass Index <18.5). Women and children also suffer from some of the world’s highest levels of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Improving nutrition contributes to productivity, economic development, and poverty reduction by improving physical work capacity, cognitive development, school performance, and health by reducing disease and mortality. The economic costs of malnutrition are very high – an estimated 2-3 % of GDP (US$ 250 to 375 million) is lost every year in Nepal on account of vitamin and mineral deficiencies alone. Scaling-up key interventions to address these deficiencies will cost a small fraction of that amount.