KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) — Efforts to address the issue of lack of a balanced diet or malnutrition in children continue to be the focus of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Nestle Malaysia, who jointly organised the PUTRA Community Nutrition Ambassador Programme (PUTRACNAP) in Kampung Datuk Keramat.
The programme, attended by 63 mother-and-child couples from 11 Public Housing (PPR) and Public Housing (PA) projects, aims to increase the community’s awareness on the importance of a balanced diet following the rise in cases of malnutrition in Southeast Asia.
Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Aiman Athira Sabu, when inaugurating the programme, said 70 per cent of children in four Southeast Asian countries including Malaysia were malnourished, notably in calcium and vitamin D.
“This increase involves children in urban areas, most of whom show excessive weight gain,” she said when speaking at the ‘Farm-to-Table’ Health Carnival for community nutrition.
Aiman Athira said the five-month programme, which includes creating a community farm to address malnutrition, has positively impacted the community by driving home the importance of eating a balanced diet.
UPM’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences deputy dean Prof Dr Cheah Yoke Kqueen said the collaboration programme which involved the community and industry players was a direct initiative to promote the implementation of the ‘Farm-to-Table’ concept.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency