Undernutrition is the underlying cause in 45% of child deaths worldwide (Black, et al., 2013). When left untreated, it leads to stunted growth, which is irreversible and causes serious and costly consequences such as impaired cognitive ability, reduced school performance, poor work capacity and productivity, increased frequency of common infections leading to child death among others.

In the Philippines, 1 in 3 children continue to suffer from wasting and stunting due to lack of access to proper food. The table below shows the 16-year trend of malnutrition prevalence among Filipino children below 5 years old.

To contribute in the improvement of the nutrition situation of the country, PMI aims to reduce the stunting and wasting levels of children below five years old.