Joining the first-ever research of its kind in Cambodia, primary school children queue with their parents and wait to receive an examination card.
Photo: WFP/Somealea Ngay

Cambodia: The Game Changer Against Malnutrition

Can using fortified rice in WFP's school meals programme be the game changer in the fight against malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, particularly among primary school-aged children? A nine-month study to be conducted in 20 schools in Cambodia's Kampong Speu province is set to give us the answer.

Overview

Cambodia is a developing country emerging from decades of civil conflict and economic stagnation and moving towards becoming a dynamic economy in the Association of South-East Asian Nations. Cambodia has achieved impressive economic growth since the mid-1990s and has made significant progress in reducing national poverty. It is ranked 139 out of 187 countries on the UNDP 2011 Human Development Index. According to the 2007 Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey (CSES), the poverty rate decreased from 35 percent in 2004 to 30 percent in 2007. The government's Commune Database estimates the 2010 poverty rate to be 25.8 percent. The proportion of the population living under the food poverty line is 18 percent according to data from the CSES.

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