The epicentre of the global wasting crisis lies in South Asia: there are more than double the number of wasted (25.1 million) and severely wasted (7.7 million) children in South Asia than in sub-Saharan Africa, the second highest region. Yet, there has been little progress in reducing the prevalence of child wasting in the region to date and coverage of wasting treatment remains less than 5%. Addressing the huge burden of child wasting in South Asia should be a global priority.
That is why we’ve dedicated this special issue of Field Exchange to spotlight this problem, to examine why the burden is so high and to help identify priorities and actions through the learning and reflections of regional and country practitioners and researchers.
The original articles are complemented by soundbites and podcasts from national authors, researchers and Victor Aguayo, Chief of Nutrition, UNICEF HQ.
