One in three under-5 children in Maldives underweight: UN agencies

MALE, Dec 16 (HNS) - Every one in three children of under five years of age in Maldives are underweight, according to the United Nations agencies here. The reason for this is lack of proper nutrition, the UN said in a leaflet titled "One Family One Voice." Other reasons include obstacles in access to healthcare facilities, lack of breastfeeding habit among women, poor hygiene among children and increased infection among them. The UN also noted lack of proper nutrition among expecting mothers as a cause of under-5 children being underweight here. This factor denies children healthy physical development. A cause of lack of nutrition in Maldivian people's diet may be the absence of healthy foods and a balanced diet in Maldivians' dietary habits, according to the UN agencies. Items such as fruits and vegetables are prominently lacking in Maldivians' diet. The UN noted that it is quite difficult for most Maldivians to integrate fruits and vegetables into their diet because it is difficult to get them in the first place, and expensive, too.