Beijing: Two separate studies conducted by Chinese researchers have found that malnutrition has been rising in China’s far western region of Xinjiang, media reports said. Malnutrition has been observed especially among children and adolescents. The incidents are happening despite economic growth in the area, reports said. About 16 percent of Xinjiang residents 15 years old or younger had anaemia, a condition in which there is lower concentration of red blood cells than normal, reports South China Morning Post. The rate of anaemia in Xinjiang is 23 percent higher than the national average. The disorder has been dropping across the country, but in Xinjiang it was rising, albeit slowly, with a 0.11 per cent increase from 2016 to 2018, the newspaper reported. The studies came to light at a time when China is combating COVID-19 outbreak. The deadly virus is believed to have originated from China. It has now spread across the globe. - justearthnews
