Raising the Bar
Understanding and Solving Chronic Malnutrition in the Philippines
Highlights
Stunting, also known as chronic malnutrition, remains one of the most serious threats to children in the Philippines. In 2023, 23.6 per cent of children under five were stunted — a rate that has hardly improved in the past two decades and remains higher than in many countries at a similar stage of development.
Understanding and Solving Chronic Malnutrition in the Philippines, a study by UNICEF and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), makes the case for treating nutrition as a national development priority. The study consolidates policies, programmes, and child nutrition data to show why stunting persists and where stronger investments are needed. The findings support UNICEF Philippines’ work to advance a comprehensive, continuous, and convergent approach to nutrition that ensures stronger financing, clearer accountability, and greater attention to the first 1,000 days of life.
