Phnom Penh:Prime Minister Hun Manet has called on stakeholders to enhance efforts to ensure all Cambodians have access to adequate and healthy food, aiming to eliminate malnutrition by 2030.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, this call was part of Hun Manet's message during the 13th National Nutrition Day on November 6, themed "Investing in nutrition is investing in human beings."
Hun Manet highlighted that investing in nutrition is crucial for fostering healthy growth and development, positively impacting educational outcomes, labor productivity, poverty reduction, and sustainable socio-economic progress.
Over the past twenty years, Cambodia has seen a significant improvement in its nutritional status, with stunting in children under five decreasing from 50% to 22%, wasting from 17% to 9.6%, and underweight prevalence from 39% to 16%.
The Prime Minister noted that the government continues to prioritize human capital development through the Pentagon Strategy - Phase 1, which focuses on expanding universal health service access and strengthening food systems, health services, social protection, and access to clean water and sanitation to address ongoing challenges.