Childhood stunting has recently garnered public attention in Malaysia, but there remains a general lack of understanding surrounding the issue. Policymakers and the general public have mostly focused on the immediate causes of stunting, particularly on inadequate dietary intake, but have not paid as much attention to the underlying determinants of stunting. This paper seeks to contribute to the knowledge gap by highlighting the causes and effects of stunting, identifying statistical and historical trends on stunting in Malaysia, and providing suggestions on addressing stunting among Malaysian children. Notably, this paper assesses Malaysia's performance in the underlying determinants of stunting which consist of: (i) household food security; (ii) adequate care and feeding practices; (iii) access to health services; and (iv) the presence of a healthy environment. This paper uses a combination of publicly available data from the Institute of Public Health Malaysia and the Department of Statistics (DOS) Malaysia, engagements with subject matter experts and key stakeholders, and a literature review on childhood stunting.
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