Malnutrition falls among China’s young children

Despite some progress, undernutrition remains a major cause of mortality in children in low and middle income countries.1 No region is currently on track to achieve the sustainable development goal 2.2 target of a 50% reduction in the number of children aged <5 years with stunting from 2015 to 2030.2 Some countries or subregions, however, have succeeded in substantially cutting the prevalence of undernutrition over the past 15 years or so. Huo and colleagues’ linked analysis of cross sectional surveys carried out in the poorest counties of China (doi:10.1136/bmj-2024-079499), for example, documented remarkable progress in the reduction of child undernutrition, thanks to a large programme to alleviate poverty and to improve nutrition in children, including the distribution of micronutrient supplements.3 Between 2016 and 2021, the prevalence of anaemia among infants aged 6-23 months had decreased by more than half and stunting by more than a third. Although variation according to county income diminished over time, inequities related to maternal education persisted. …