In a decade, chronic malnutrition in first grade children decreased 5.9 points nationwide, reveals the fifth national census in schoolchildren, presented this May 13. It is a reduction of 0.6 points per year, well below the decrease of two points that is considered ideal, according to the head of the Ministry of Food and Nutrition Security (Sesán).
The measurement between public sector schoolchildren shows a reduction in the prevalence of chronic malnutrition – low, between 2015, when it reached 37.6%, and 2024, which was 31.7%.Ne
Despite this, three out of 10 schoolchildren between 6 and 9 years continue to present a low size for their age. The fact becomes more crude in municipalities such as San Mateo Ixtatán, San Juan Atitán and Colotenango, in Huehuetenango, where seven out of 10 children have a short stature, and the figure is above the departmental average, which is located in four out of 10.
The census shows contrasts in the reality that afflicts the child population in the nutritional issue, because, contrary to what happens in the aforementioned municipalities, in the capital city and in progress the prevalence decreases to one in 10.
The measurement was carried out last September to 380 thousand 594 first grade students in 16 thousand 303 educational centers of the public sector. For that reason, the data only reflects the low size in children within the education system and leaves out those who do not attend a school. The process was in charge of the Ministry of Education and the Sesán.
Contrasts
The report classifies the departments for their nutritional vulnerability, according to the delay in the size of the children, and in a high -risk position is Totonicapán, with 48.6% of children affected above the national average, which is 31.7%. In that same rank of fragility are Quiché, Huehuetenango, Chiquimula, Sololá and Alta Verapaz.
While, at the other extreme, in a low condition, the city of Guatemala, El Progreso, Jutiapa, Santa Rosa and Escuintla, who move away up to 19.1 points of the country average.
By segregating the data by residence area, the delay in such as children who live In the urban sector it is 18.3%, while in rural areas there are 34.8% of affected children.
Census results indicate that low stature is more evident in the 9 -year -old child population, with 45.6% of minors with chronic malnutrition, and in 6 -year -old schoolchildren, the percentage is 32.1%.
On the other hand, at the national level, the average size of 6 -year -old girls was 9 cm lower than the reference standard of the World Health Organization. In the case of those who were 9 years old, the difference was 12 cm.
While 6 -year -old men were 7.6 cm less with respect to the international reference pattern, and in 9 years the difference was 11.3 cm.
Slow advance
From the first edition of the National Census of Schools, in 1986, there is a consistent reduction of chronic malnutrition in children who attend the first grade of primary school in the official sector. At that time, half of the schoolchildren had low size (51.1%).
Fifteen years later, the evaluation showed a reduction of 1.4 points and revealed that 49.8% of schoolchildren were malnourished. A third measurement was made in 2008 and evidenced a decrease of 4.2 points, but the largest decrease was 8 points, observed in the 2015 census.
Now, this fifth census indicates that chronic malnutrition was reduced 5.9 points for a decade. Mireya Palmieri, head of La Sesán, explains that it was an annual reduction of 0.6 percentage points, when the ideal should be 2 per year.
He adds that the results of the census are a reflection of the scope of the programs against the malnutrition of previous governments, in this case, of the National Strategy for the Prevention of Chronic Malnutrition (2016-2020) and the Great National Crusade for Nutrition (2020-2024).
The authorities reported that the results must still be validated by the National Statistics Institute (INE), and after that process, the document will be socialized.
The data will also be used to validate the proposal of prioritized municipalities of the hand -to -hand strategy, among other public policy actions.
Long -term effect
Have A stature below age is a visible sign of chronic malnutritionrelated to a sustained nutritional imbalance. This condition puts childhood in Guatemala, because it not only affects its size, but also causes irreversible cognitive damage, affecting learning capacity in the school stage and with an impact on adult life, according to reports on the situation of childhood in Guatemala.
A child with that condition loses up to 40% of his potential neurons, And the deterioration is for life, according to UNICEF reports.
Palmieri points out that the size indicator for the expression of nutritional history, of what the children could or not eat before studying the first degree of primary school, of the times they became ill and access to health services, as well as the housing conditions ―Hacination, water and sanitation, wall material, roof and floor.
He adds that the information provided by the fifth national census of size will help institutions to reorganize and guide actions in places where the prevalence of chronic malnutrition is higher. The data will also be used to validate the proposal of prioritized municipalities of the hand -to -hand strategy.
Anabella Giracca, Minister of Education, mentions that these results present a challenge for the portfolio, focused on strengthening and expanding early childhood care programs.
“If we cannot do it at the national level, these data allow us to choose and see where the municipalities are in which we must focus with priority,” said Giracca.
It should be noted that the report of the Fifth National Census of size must still be validated by the National Statistics Institute (INE), and after that process, the document will be socialized.