Aamir Khan: malnutrition in South Asia "is an unseen enemy"

阿邱

KATHMANDU, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Indian cine icon Aamir Khan said here Thursday that malnutrition is an "unseen enemy" in South Asia and called on everyone to be involved in the fight against it.

"Malnutrition is not easy to detect, that's where the danger lies; it is an unseen enemy," Khan said at a program organized by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Kathmandu.

During his three-day visit to Nepal, Khan has been officially inducted as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in South Asia.

He will support UNICEF's work to promote the right of South Asian children to nutrition, with a focus on ending stunting.

"I hope my messages on the importance of children's nutrition will urge parents, families and leaders at all levels to support and adopt services and nutrition practices that will help children grow and develop to their full potential," the Bollywood star said.

In South Asia, four out of 10 children under the age of five have stunted growth due to chronic undernutrition.

According to UNICEF, globally nearly half of all deaths in children under the age of five are attributable to under nutrition. This translates into the unnecessary loss of about 3 million young lives a year.