Malnutrition in the underprivileged provinces is twice the national average rate, said Dr. Zahra Abdollahi, head of the Nutrition Improvement Department at the Health Ministry.
“Although malnutrition has been alleviated in the past two decades, it is still high in Sistan-Baluchestan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Ilam, South Khorasan, and Kerman provinces compared to the national average,” she was quoted as saying by ISNA.
Statistics show improvement in the rate of underweight children which is currently 4%, while the average rate of stunted growth is 6.8%. This is while the same rates were over 20% in 1995, indicating a 50% improvement.
Abdollahi also warned against obesity, which is more prevalent in the urban regions.
