Despite recent progress, Cambodia still suffers the effects of 30 years of war, internal displacement and political instability. Continued poverty also results from high population growth, low agricultural productivity, social exclusion, poor access to health services and high exposure to natural disasters.
Reports show that infant mortality is 83 deaths per 1,000 live births4 and that maternal mortality is 437 deaths per 100,000 live births. Malnutrition in Cambodian children under 5 is a silent emergency: stunting prevalence is 37 percent, the rate of underweight is 36 percent and wasting is 7 percent. Poor diet diversity with 65 percent of calories provided by cereals results in severe micronutrient inadequacy: 46 percent of women of reproductive age and 62 percent of children under 5 suffer from anaemia.
Maternal health and nutrition during pregnancy promote foetal development and reduce the risk of low birthweight, stunting and wasting; reduction of micronutrient deficiency in pregnant women is linked to reduced risk of death during childbirth. Children between 6 and 24 months are most vulnerable to malnutrition because of poor childcare and increased risk of infection; in this age group particularly, improved childcare, health and nutrition practices promote healthy development and increase catch-up growth.
The major objectives of the project are to improve the nutritional status of:
This is to be achieved by providing a fortified food ration to enrich the beneficiaries’ diet.
The secondary objectives are:
Rice will be used as an incentive for women to attend health centres and for village volunteers to carry out growth monitoring, health and nutrition education and food distribution.
