KABUL, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- More than 60 children have died from severe malnutrition over the past 11 months in northern Afghanistan's Badakhshan province, local media Tolo news reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, nearly 16,000 children were diagnosed with malnutrition during the period, with 16,468 cases officially registered and receiving treatment at health facilities across the province.
Several key factors driving child malnutrition in Badakhshan include a lack of mothers' milk, limited access to nutritious food, short intervals between births, and low public awareness about proper child nutrition, the report said.
Local residents echoed these concerns, pointing to deepening poverty and shortages of medical facilities and trained health workers in rural areas. Many villages remain far from clinics, making timely diagnosis and treatment difficult, especially during harsh weather conditions. ■