A front-line hunger crisis persists: child malnutrition remains stubbornly high despite global attention and aid.
Five-year-old Sumaiya’s dream of joining classmates is eclipsed by illness and fragility in a Dhaka slum, where poverty silently erodes her growth. Her small, undernourished frame tells a quiet family story of struggle to pay for the basics. With rent and three children to feed, schooling feels like a distant luxury.
Sumaiya’s mother, Rokeya Begum, a domestic worker, explained to The Business Standard that nutritious food is unaffordable for many families. The rising costs of staples make even rice and lentils hard to manage, and days often pass with little more than grains and vegetables. Meat, milk, and fruit are rare sightings on their table.
These struggles echo across the country, according to the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2025 released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Wasting among children under five has increased to 12.5% from 9.8%, signaling a sharp rise in acute malnutrition, while underweight prevalence remains high at 23%. Alarmingly, only 35% of children aged 6–23 months meet the minimum dietary variety, a key predictor of healthy growth and immunity.
Wasting, defined as being too thin for height, is among the most dangerous forms of undernutrition, often resulting from rapid weight loss or stunted weight gain. Children who are moderately or severely wasted face a heightened risk of death without timely intervention. Stunting — impaired growth from chronic inadequacy — also persists, driven by poor nutrition, recurrent infections, and limited psychosocial stimulation. Yet there is a glimmer of progress: stunting has declined nationally to 24%.
Despite this improvement, nearly one in four Bangladeshi children under five remains underweight due to a combination of wasting, stunting, and ongoing food insecurity. In response, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics is urging the government to scale up both prevention and treatment of wasting while strengthening food systems, primary healthcare, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives to tackle stunting.
Experts warn that the consequences extend far beyond immediate health. Nutritionist Dr. Khaleda Islam notes that dietary diversity is crucial for delivering a full spectrum of nutrients. With many children not consuming at least five different foods daily, overall nutrition cannot improve. Wasting threatens age-appropriate physical and cognitive development, potentially hindering long-term learning and IQ growth. The MICS also marks the first year of anaemia testing, revealing high rates of anaemia among children 12–59 months and pregnant women, signaling widespread micronutrient deficiencies.
Iron-deficiency anaemia has long been a concern, and micronutrient-related anaemias are notably high. Maternal anaemia raises the risk of low-birth-weight babies, who are more vulnerable to pneumonia, diarrhoea, and impaired growth. Dr. Khaleda cautions that both global and domestic economic pressures are limiting access to nutritious foods for low-income families, creating a situation where people eat enough to feel full but not enough to nourish.
She urges authorities to translate the MICS findings into actionable nutrition programs, emphasizing improved food diversity. Maternal health sits at the core of this effort. Professor Dr. Ferdousi Begum highlights that addressing anaemia before and during pregnancy reduces risks of postpartum haemorrhage and low birth weight, which in turn lowers early death risks for newborns. Regular antenatal care — at least four check-ups — is essential for early detection and prevention of problems before they escalate.
Regionally, Sylhet shows the weakest child-nutrition indicators, with stunting at 32% and wasting at 14%. In contrast, Khulna reports the lowest stunting rate at 21%, and Dhaka the lowest wasting rate at 11%. Across the country, only about 74% of children aged 6–23 months receive the minimum daily meals, and merely 35% meet dietary diversity standards, with 30% achieving minimum acceptable diet levels. Rural, low-income, and less-educated households are disproportionately affected, though even urban, wealthier families fall short on dietary diversity, revealing a nationwide gap in nutrition awareness.
The data underscore a complex reality: progress exists but is uneven, and many families struggle to provide diverse, nutrient-rich foods. This is a call to action for policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities to prioritize nutrition education, equitable access to varied foods, and robust health services to support mothers and children from pregnancy through early childhood.
