The level of malnutrition among children below five in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur is a growing concern, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said.
He said data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) showed that 23.4 per cent of children in Kuala Lumpur were stunted, while 12.4 per cent were underweight.
Another 8.1 per cent were affected by wasting, while 7.5 per cent were classified as overweight, highlighting the different forms of nutritional challenges faced by children in the capital.
“These figures are more than just statistics. Behind every percentage is a child going through a critical stage of development, and a family hoping for the support they need,” he said.
Dzulkefly said Malaysia was facing a double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition and overnutrition occur at the same time.
He said the Health Ministry was therefore strengthening its community-based approach by identifying children at risk, including those who did not regularly receive health services at medical facilities.
One of the initiatives is the Urban Community Feeding Programme (PCF Bandar), which was launched on a pilot basis in 2013 to provide targeted assistance to children facing nutritional difficulties.
Under the six-month programme, children aged between one and six receive structured support that includes monthly growth monitoring, nutritious food baskets and fresh fruit and vegetables supplied every two weeks.
Dzulkefly was speaking after launching the PCF Bandar programme with Seputeh MP Teresa Kok at the Muhibbah Community Complex.
In Seputeh, the six-month intervention is being funded through a partnership with Kok, following similar initiatives previously implemented in the Lembah Pantai and Wangsa Maju constituencies.
The minister said community-based interventions were important in ensuring vulnerable children could receive nutritional support early, particularly when families might not regularly seek assistance through conventional healthcare channels.
