The prevalence of wasting or acute malnutrition among children from the richest households is two times more (eight per cent) than that of children from the poorest homes (four per cent), according to a survey conducted across the country in March and April last year.

The Fiji Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2021 by the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, Health Ministry and UNICEF also found that there were geographic disparities in the proportion of stunted children in Fiji.

Stunting refers to a child who is too short for his or her age, and is the failure to grow both physically and cognitively as the result of chronic or recurrent malnutrition. According to the survey, children under five years of age in the Northern Division are almost twice as stunted (12 per cent), compared to children in the Western (6 per cent) and Central (7 per cent) divisions.

The MICS also found that child obesity was an emerging issue in Fiji with almost 8 per cent of children under five years being overweight.