MANAGEMENT OF NUTRITIONALLY AT-RISK MOTHERS AND INFANTS UNDER SIX MONTHS IN CAMBODIA
Addressing nutrition vulnerability in infants under six months in Cambodia: A call to transform care for at-risk mothers and infants
Highlights
Undernutrition rates in infants under six months have surpassed 10 percent across all indicators, including wasting, underweight, and stunting. The under-six-months age group accounts for half of the total prevalence of stunting observed in children under five years old.
This UNICEF report provides a comprehensive analysis of how vulnerable groups are identified and supported within Cambodia’s healthcare system.
The findings highlight insufficient policy attention to the high prevalence of undernutrition in infants under six months. Additionally, the report sheds light on gaps in health system practices, particularly in screening, identifying, and managing infants under six months.
To address this critical situation, the report emphasizes the necessity for policy updates, heightened awareness of undernutrition in this age group, enhanced capacity building, and the utilization of community-based support and at-home care.
Cambodia’s youngest citizens—the infants who hold Cambodia’s future—deserve more than mere survival. They deserve the opportunity to thrive and to realize their full potential. Urgent action is thus needed to ensure that every infant in Cambodia has the opportunity to start a healthy life free of malnutrition.
