Reassessing the nutrition policy landscape: Mapping nutrition policies and analysing malnutrition burdens in selected South Asian countries

Abstract

Malnutrition is an extensive and complicated public health issue experienced by countries across South Asia that affects millions of lives and impedes the socioeconomic progress of nations. Despite decades of policies, programs, and interventions the region continues to suffer from high rates of undernutrition, overweight, obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies, as well as maternal and child malnutrition. In this article we examine the impact of malnutrition in South Asia through the public policy lens, with an emphasis on policy formulation and the evaluation of implementation constraints. By drawing on national policy mappings and empirical analyses, we highlight policy architectures across the region. This public policy cycle framework and Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Framework have been applied to analyze how certain issues impact policy agendas, how decisions are made, and how implementation is carried out. Results suggest that while early childhood and pregnancy receive significant policy attention, adolescence and the preconception period are frequently ignored, limiting the effectiveness of maternal and child health interventions. The implications of this conceptual gap are severe, as a large proportion of individuals in the reproductive-age group of most South Asian nations are adolescents of “marriageable age” per their respective cultures, who are often married and become parents of children before they enter adulthood. This is a sensitive situation in the South Asian health scenario that needs to be addressed immediately. We argue for an urgent pivot toward preconception-centered, equity-driven interventions that align national commitments with global nutrition targets such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Targets 2025.