LEAP reduces stunting in children

The story of malnutrition and stunting among children in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa is one that brings memories of Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist,” the poor orphan who mustered courage to ask for more gruel (thin porridge). His travail was a scathing indictment on the kind of society that existed in the Dickensian era which eventually led to social reforms in England. Millions of children today, however, are still having their lives yanked out of them before age five as a result of stunting.

Stunting – a condition caused essentially by malnourishment – is associated inter alia, with impaired development and poor cognition. In fact, it robs children of normal adult height and lowers their learning ability, which eventually affects their productivity and earnings in adulthood. The worst effect of stunting is that the condition can’t be reversed even in later life when nourishment improves.

It’s against this backdrop that the global health community has over the