This indicator measures the proportion of girls under five years of age who experience wasting, a critical nutritional concern characterized by low weight for height. Specifically, it identifies those whose weight is more than two standard deviations below the median of a well-established international reference population of children aged 0-59 months. Wasting in early childhood is a vital health issue, as it reflects acute malnutrition and increases susceptibility to diseases while potentially leading to long-term physical and cognitive impairments. Monitoring this measure can help policymakers and health practitioners target interventions more effectively and address underlying causes of malnutrition in vulnerable populations, ultimately improving health outcomes for young girls and contributing to overall child well-being.
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