Malnutrition among children is prevalent in Makawanpur district.

According to data at the District Public Health Office, more than 3,000 children in the district are suffering from malnutrition. Of them, 768 children are suffering from severe malnutrition, said DPHO official Bhim Sagar Guragain.

The DPHO, in coordination with the various NGOs, is treating malnourished children through 39 health facilities.

According to the DPHO, 227 children who are suffering from severe malnutrition have not been able to get proper treatment yet. Namrata Paudel, programme coordinator of the ACF International Nepal, an NGO, said children suffering from malnutrition need at least 42 days to three months for treatment.

DPHO Chief Ramsharan Pathak said the office was  bringing malnourished children from remote areas to health facilities for treatment.

In Nepal, 41 per cent of children suffer from malnutrition, a Unicef report in 2015 said, terming the condition a silent emergency.

The WHO says lack of access to highly nutritious foods, especially in the present context of rising food prices, is a common cause of malnutrition.

Poor feeding practices, such as inadequate breastfeeding, offering the wrong foods and not ensuring that the child gets enough nutritious food, contribute to malnutrition, according to the WHO.