Breaking the Growth Barrier: Stunting Among Afghan Children (6–59 Months) – Insights from the 2023 UNICEF MICS Survey

Stunting has emerged as a significant health problem in South Asia. Afghanistan was hit the hardest with the highest prevalence of stunting in 2018 in the region. With the recent education ban for women and girls, Afghanistan has become prone to even worse satiation. Additionally, with respect to the country’s social and economic profile after the COVID-19 pandemic, the country and its population, specifically women and children, faced challenges in receiving essential living services. The objective of this study was to determine the current prevalence of stunting and the factors that are significantly associated with this disease among children.

The study uses the MICS nationally representative dataset in which the survey was conducted from 2022--2023 in Afghanistan by UNICEF. The results revealed a high prevalence rate of stunting among children aged 6--59 months (48%), and several factors (mother and caregiver education, household wealth, children’s age and infectious diseases) were associated with stunted children in the country. The major part of the country in western Afghanistan has more children suffering from stunting than the other parts of the country do.

Our findings highlight the importance of mothers’ education in preventing their children from stunting, and our research recommends that the government focus on interventions in the community to increase awareness and make nutritional services available to people in hard-to-reach areas of the country.