With four out of every ten children malnourished or stunted, Bhutan is countering malnutrition with immunization, oral rehydration therapy and vitamin A supplementation, and working with the community to encourage better nutrition. The growth of children will be closely monitored to spot malnutrition early. Six out of ten children in rural Bhutan suffer from diarrhoea, worms, and skin and eye infections largely due to a lack of safe drinking water and poor environmental sanitation. The plan is to make improved drinking water accessible to everyone and to encourage improved environmental sanitation in all the districts. About three out of every 10 children of school-going age do not have the opportunity to go to school, especially in the remote areas.
Adult literacy is low.
Programmes have been introduced to increase adult literacy, especially among rural women, through non-formal learning. Post-literacy classes have also been introduced to keep the new skills.