Children in South ‘most malnourished’
Children in Thailand’s southernmost provinces are the most malnourished, compared with children living in other parts of the country, according to a Unicef-sponsored survey on the situation of children and women in the far South.
The percentage of children under five in Narathiwat, Yala, Pattani, Satun and Songkhla provinces who are too short for their age is far higher than the national average, according to provincial surveys conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in association with Unicef.
In Narathiwat, about 29% of children under five are too short compared with the national average of 11%. The rates in Yala, Pattani, Satun and Songkhla provinces are 21%, 19%, 17% and 13%, respectively.
“This is a serious problem,” said Thomas Davin, Unicef Representative for Thailand.
“It means that children living in these areas are receiving inadequate nutrition over a long period of time. The resulting malnutrition can irreversibly stunt their physical development as well as the development of their brains. This has life-long negative consequences for these children, but also for society as a whole.”
Wasting, when a child is too thin for their height, is also considerably more prevalent among children living in the far South. Of the southernmost provinces, Pattani has the highest rate among children under five years old, at 13%, followed by Narathiwat at 11%. The national average is 5%.
In the far South, immunisation is also a major concern. While 72% of one-yearolds in the rest of Thailand are fully immunised, full coverage remains low in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani provinces at only 37%, 39% and 40%, respectively.
The survey also suggests the majority of young people aged 15-24 in the far South do not have adequate knowledge about HIV/Aids prevention. Only 16% of young men and 21% of young women in Narathiwat gave the correct answers to questions about how HIV is transmitted. In Pattani, only 20% of men and 25% of women gave the correct answers.
The level of knowledge on HIV in these provinces is significantly lower than the national average, where 45% of young men and 46% of young women answered these questions correctly.
“Children living in the far South face too many challenges growing up,” Mr Davin added.
“We need to put a lot more effort into making sure that these children grow up in a supportive and protective environment, where they have access to information and services that allow them to reach their full potential.”