Development of Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) strategy for promoting healthy eating habits among children and adolescent

1. JUSTIFICATION/BACKGROUND

Malaysia is facing simultaneous crises of over and under-nutrition, with some children overweight while their peers suffer from stunting and wasting. 1 in 5 Malaysian children is stunted. This result is worse than Ghana, despite Malaysia’s GDP per capita being six times higher.[1] A higher income does not mean better health. 14% of Malaysian children under five are underweight and 12% of the children are wasted. On the other hand, almost 13% Malaysian children between 5-19 are obese, one of the highest in the region.[2]

Despite improvements in health care provision and the near-universal provision of water and sanitation, poverty and poor infant feeding practices remain contributing factors. Malnutrition causes developmental delays and makes children more prone to illness, affecting their cognitive ability and capacity to reach their full potential. Likewise, obesity can also severely hamper a child’s development and quality of life, leading to secondary complications such as Type 2 diabetes, cardio-vascular problems, asthma and sleeping disorders.

The double burden of malnutrition also impacts a country’s economy related to poor cognitive ability and educational attainment, increased vulnerability of children affected by illness which ultimately leads to an increase in health costs and a direct loss in human capital and productivity for the economy.

In this background, UNICEF and Ministry of Health is planning to roll out multi-year social and behaviour change communications campaign to curb the alarming trend in double burden of malnutrition. Under the agreed work plan between UNICEF and Ministry of Health, UNICEF supports the Government to plan, execute, and monitor and evaluate social and behaviour change communications intervention in double burden of malnutrition.