As the issue of food insecurity grapples the world, Sri Lanka ranks alongside India on having the highest child wasting in Southern Asia, revealed the latest regional overview on food and nutrition by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

According to the report, Sri Lanka and India have a ‘very high’ prevalence (15 percent or above) of child wasting based on the criteria set by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Indonesia, Nepal and Papua New Guinea have a ‘high’ prevalence (10–15 percent).

The FAO cautioned the issue going unaddressed will further sidetrack progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Indicator 2.2.2.

Asia and the Pacific account for the highest number of children under five years affected by wasting. In 2020, 9.9 percent is said to have suffered from wasting, which is significantly higher than the global average of 6.7 percent.

The sub-region with the highest proportion of children with wasting is Southern Asia (14.1 percent), followed by Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand (9 percent), South-eastern Asia (8.2 percent), and Eastern Asia (1.7 percent).

The FAO pointed out that by the end of 2022, an additional 9 million children across the world would suffer from wasting, including 6.2 million in Southern Asia.