ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh has made notable progress in reducing child stunting over the past 15 years, nearly cutting the rate in half, while Pakistan and India continue to report higher levels, hovering around 36-38%. According to a press release from the Gilani Research Foundation, child stunting, which is indicated by low height for age due to chronic undernutrition, serves as a critical measure of long-term child health and human development.

Two decades ago, Bangladesh faced a child stunting rate of 43.0% among children under five, a figure that has since dropped to 24.0% by 2022. In contrast, Pakistan’s rate remains at 37.6% as of 2017-18, and India’s at 35.5% in 2021. Despite differing economic and policy contexts, both Pakistan and India report similar child stunting figures currently.

Bangladesh’s improvement is attributed to several factors beyond economic growth. These include near-universal secondary education for girls, increased contraceptive use to reduce high-risk pregnancies, and the deployment of community health workers offering consistent nutrition and maternal-child health support at the household level.

While Pakistan and India have advanced in expanding healthcare services such as facility births and immunization, further reductions in child stunting may require broader investments in girls’ education, family planning, and community health systems. Bangladesh’s success underscores the importance of addressing broader social determinants to improve child nutrition, beyond solely focusing on nutrition interventions.