Egypt’s health minister highlights that stunting and poor nutrition in young children extend beyond physical growth, impacting cognition, school performance, and long-term development, prompting calls for improved early intervention and data tracking.
Egypt’s health minister has warned that child stunting and poor nutrition are not simply matters of height or appearance, but can shape a child’s thinking, school performance and wider development. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said the problem reaches far beyond physical growth, arguing that early nutritional deficits can affect cognition, learning and classroom activity.
Speaking during a discussion session attended by Diyaa Rashwan, the state minister for information, Abdel Ghaffar said stunting among children under five has not improved enough, even as indicators for children aged six to 12 have shown progress. He said one reason the issue is harder to tackle in younger children is that they are less visible to monitoring systems than school-age pupils, making early detection more difficult.
That concern is supported by research in Egypt and elsewhere. A study published in the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal found that monitoring stunting in children under five remains a challenge, while other studies in Egypt have shown that poor nutrition is a serious public health issue among schoolchildren. Research cited in medical journals has also linked early and persistent stunting to weaker cognitive development, including difficulties with attention, memory and problem-solving.
Abdel Ghaffar said stunting is linked to malnutrition rather than genetics alone, and pointed to the need for better data to identify where intervention is most needed. He said the ministry is working to improve health databases and track a broader set of indicators, including anaemia, obesity, stunting, breastfeeding rates, and deaths among children and newborns. The aim, he suggested, is to reach vulnerable children earlier, before poor nutrition begins to limit learning and long-term health.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
