This indicator reflects the proportion of children under five years old identified as underweight, classified as having weight-for-age z-scores below minus two standard deviations from the median established by the WHO Child Growth Standards. This metric is crucial for understanding malnutrition levels within populations, highlighting the prevalence of inadequate nutrition and its dire implications on child health and development. By focusing on those below the -2 SD threshold, this measure includes the most severely affected, encompassing a broader spectrum that also captures those with extreme underweight at -3 SD. Tracking this percentage is vital for assessing public health interventions, informing policy decisions, and facilitating targeted nutrition programs aimed at reversing trends of undernutrition in vulnerable populations.
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