Consider This: The Cost of Stunting on Malaysia’s Children

According to global estimates, Malaysia’s childhood stunting rate has risen to 24.3% in 2024, which is higher than Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Over the past two decades, Malaysia appears to be the only country in the region to have regressed. However the Health Minister disputes the 24% figure, pointing instead to national survey data showing 21.2%. But even that means roughly one in five Malaysian children under five are stunted. What will it take to reverse the trend? On this episode of #ConsiderThis Melisa Idris speaks with Professor Dr Poh Bee Koon, Professor of Nutrition at the Center for Community Health Studies under the Faculty of Health Sciences at UKM. She’s also the Chair of the Health and Advanced Medicine Research Cluster at Center for IDEA, UKM.