Nutrition
Tackling the 'triple burden' of malnutrition in Indonesia
- Available in:
- English
- Bahasa Indonesia
Despite a reduction in malnutrition rates over the past decade, Indonesia still has one of the world’s highest rates of maternal and child malnutrition. The country also grapples with a triple burden of malnutrition. The triple burden of malnutrition is about more than too little or too much food: it is the result of poor quality of food and other deprivations such as poor maternal and child caring practices and limited access to quality health, hygiene, and sanitation services.
These deprivations are further aggravated by poverty, low education levels, gender and societal inequities, poor infrastructure, frequent natural disasters, and environmental and climate-related factors.
What is the triple burden of malnutrition?
Undernutrition
- Child stunting remains the most prevalent form of undernutrition in Indonesia, affecting more than 4.5 million children under five years of age. Stunted children are more likely to have impaired cognitive development, develop chronic diseases later in life, deliver low birth weight babies and perpetuate an intergenerational cycle of malnutrition.
- Indonesia also has one of the highest rates of childhood wasting. This affects roughly four and a half million children under five years, of which over of which 760,000 are severely wasted, which also increases their risk of stunting. Children with severe wasting have significantly higher mortality rates than well-nourished children. Those who survive may have developmental problems throughout their lives.
How does UNICEF respond?
- Early childhood malnutrition
Focus on improving breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices for children from six months of age and ensures adequate micronutrient intake to prevent stunting and other forms of early childhood malnutrition.
- Care for wasted children
Scale up the early detection, prevention and treatment of wasting in health facilities and communities.
Micronutrient Deficiencies
Pervasive micronutrient deficiencies manifested in the form of maternal, adolescent, and child anemia. Almost one in five mothers are underweight, while nearly half of pregnant mothers – and one in four adolescent girls – are anaemic, a condition where a low level of healthy red blood cells results in reduced oxygen flow to the body’s organs. Underweight or anaemic mothers are more likely to deliver low birthweight babies, who in turn are more likely to be stunted.
How does UNICEF respond?
- Maternal and adolescent nutrition
Consider evidence-based actions to prevent maternal malnutrition and enhance the delivery and demand for programmes to improve nutrition for children and adolescents.
Overweight & Obesity
It is estimated that nearly two million children under five years, one in five school children aged 5-12 years and one in seven adolescents aged 13-18 years are overweight or obese which could present a major public health challenge in the future.
How does UNICEF respond?
- Prevention of overweight
Improve data, evidence, knowledge and advocacy on the prevention of overweight throughout life.
Our Effort
UNICEF’s nutrition program aims to prevent malnutrition throughout a child’s life, starting in the mother’s womb through maternal health, and continuing throughout infancy, childhood, and adolescence. UNICEF supports the government’s efforts by:
- providing policy advice and advocating for the nutritional needs of children and mothers at all levels;
- supporting evidence generation to capture best practices and learning;
- helping to improve the coverage and quality of essential nutrition services, from the prevention of adverse nutritional outcomes such as wasting, stunting, anemia, and overweight to appropriate treatment measures at province and district levels.
- ensuring that nutrition is part of emergency preparedness and response and is guided by UNICEF’s Core Commitments to Children in Humanitarian Action and UNICEF’s commitments as the cluster lead agency for nutrition.
“I hope in the future many severely wasted children could benefit through the availability of local RUTF, like Adifa,”