The survey, which assessed approximately 1,700 children from 4,266 households across 267 clusters in the province last year, also found that 25.3 per cent of children are stunted and 25.5 per cent are underweight.
A recent survey has revealed a concerning surge in acute malnutrition among young children in Nepal’s far-western Sudurpaschim province, with nearly one in six children under five suffering from wasting – a life-threatening form of undernutrition.
According to the Smart+ survey report, released by the province’s health directorate under the ministry of social development (with technical support from organizations including Action Against Hunger, Helen Keller International, and UNICEF), 15.8 per cent of children under five in Sudurpaschim are experiencing wasting. This rate exceeds the World Health Organization (WHO) emergency threshold of 14.9 per cent for serious acute malnutrition and places the province in the “very high” category for wasting prevalence. Wasting, characterized by rapid weight loss or failure to gain weight, sharply increases the risk of child mortality – severe cases can elevate death risk by up to 10 times compared to well-nourished children.
The survey, which assessed approximately 1,700 children from 4,266 households across 267 clusters in the province last year, also found that 25.3 per cent of children are stunted (chronic undernutrition affecting height-for-age, impacting one in four children) and 25.5 per cent are underweight. These figures indicate persistent challenges in both acute and chronic forms of malnutrition.
Increasingly Challenging Targets
In contrast, national data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2022 showed much lower wasting rates in Sudurpaschim (less than 10 per cent) and a national average of 8 per cent. Nationally, Nepal had made progress in reducing stunting from 57 per cent in 2001 to 25 per cent in 2022, and wasting from 11 per cent to 8 per cent over the same period. The new findings represent a serious setback for the province.
Experts have described the situation as an “emergency-like condition” that could drive up child mortality rates if not addressed urgently. Dr. Shyam Raj Upreti, a former director general of the Department of Health Services and child health expert, stated: “Rise in acute form of malnutrition from what was achieved in 2022 is a serious setback. It is an emergency-like condition and could raise the child mortality rate.” He attributed the rise to factors including lack of sufficient nutrient-rich foods, poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water, and inadequate treatment, calling for authorities to introduce a clear strategy.
Lila Bikram Thapa, chief of the nutrition section at the Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Services, echoed the urgency: “The recent Smart+ survey carried out in Sudurpaschim province shows an alarming picture. Nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive investments are needed immediately in Sudurpaschim.”
Malnutrition not only hampers physical and cognitive development in childhood but also weakens intellectual capacity, reduces adult productivity, heightens disease vulnerability, and contributes to long-term health issues like non-communicable diseases.
Nepal faces international obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals to reduce stunting to 15 per cent, wasting to four per cent, and underweight rates to 10 per cent by 2030 – targets that appear increasingly challenging, particularly in remote and underserved regions like Sudurpaschim. Health officials and experts are urging immediate investments in nutrition programs, improved access to safe water and sanitation, and expanded treatment for severe cases to reverse this troubling trend.
