Pakistan is among the 10 worst countries for stunting in children with nearly half of its child population stunted due to a lack of toilets, dirty water and poor hygiene, according to a new study published on Tuesday.
According to the study, ‘Caught Short’ published by WaterAid on Tuesday, as many as 9.9 million Pakistani children under the age of five are stunted. This is the third highest population of children stunted behind the likes of India and Nigeria who lead in absolute numbers.
However, Pakistan ranks eighth in terms of prevalence of stunting with 45 per cent of the child population stunted. Around 39 per cent of the population does not have access to sanitation while nine per cent of the population does not have access to water.
Stunting is a form of malnutrition in which children are shorter than normal for their age and is largely irreversible after the age of two.
If they survive, they grow up physically and intellectually weaker than their better-fed peers.