As part of national efforts to promote the importance of nutrition particularly among children, Miri Division Health Department has been implementing various activities at health clinics, communities and social media platforms.

For example, in collaboration with local councils from Miri, Subis, Marudi, Beluru and Long Lama, the department has installed children’s height measurement boards at designated public parks so that visiting children can have fun with their parents as they gauge how tall they are.

Miri Division Health Department has also been carrying out Program Pemulihan Kanak-Kanak Kekurangan Zat Makanan (PPKZM), launched in 1989 as a proactive public health initiative by the Malaysian Government to improve the health and nutritional status of children aged six months to five years from socio-economically deprived families.

Children who are eligible for this programme are given balanced and nutritious food assistance so that they are able to achieve optimal physical and mental growth.

Between 2018 and 2022 in Miri Division, a total of 375 children have participated in PPKZM, with an average of 75 children benefiting directly through the department annually.

On 13 August 2022, Miri Division Health Department conducted a community health outreach programme at Kampung Tudan Phase 4 and 5, together with Pejabat Jabatan Kemajuan Masyarakat (KEMAS) Bahagian Miri and Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung (JKKK) Kampung Tudan Phase 4 and 5.

Targeting children aged below six years old as well as parents, government preschool teachers and the local community, the programme sought to create community awareness and provide fun and informative health education materials.

Children had the chance to go through weight and height screenings, while adults were able to undergo health screenings. For women, they could get themselves examined for breast and cervical cancer, as well as taking a pap smear test.

Other activities also took place during the programme, including a healthy nutritious food cooking demonstration, interactive nutrition-themed games, colouring contests for children, health quizzes, exhibitions and health promotion talks.

The Importance of Prioritising Child Health

To develop and ensure a better future for the world, society needs to invest in children. Protecting and enhancing their health, in particular, is paramount in this endeavour.

For decades, substantial progress has been made for young children and their mothers to be able to survive and stay healthy for a long time. The World Health Organisation (WHO) notes that the number of children losing their lives before reaching five years old was halved from 2000 to 2017.

Nevertheless, child health, growth and development remain ongoing challenges. Despite the improvement in healthcare services today, many children have died as a result of conditions that are considered preventable or treatable, whether through vaccination, greater healthcare access, a proper home environment to thrive in, or even better nutrition.

In Malaysia, among other findings, the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019 reported that 21.8 per cent of children below five years old are stunted, which is an increase from 2011 (16.6 per cent) and 2015 (17.7 per cent).

Stunting, or impaired growth and development, in children is usually the result of malnutrition, repeated infection and deficient psychosocial stimulation. If no intervention takes place, they can end up having poor cognition and educational performance, as well as reduced earnings and productivity as they grow up.

This condition also puts them at risk of developing chronic diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases, especially when they gain weight excessively and are less active physically in their adult life.