A systemic overhaul of the present malnutrition eradication efforts in Southeast Asian nations is long overdue, particularly given that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened food security in the region and complicated efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 2 of “zero hunger” by 2030. This is the key concern expressed in the latest report on food security from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) published on Jan. 20, 2021, Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020. The report emphasizes the importance of taking a holistic approach centered around maternal and child diets to eradicating malnutrition and related health issues, such as stunting and wasting among children. The report says that Southeast Asia recorded the second highest prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) between 2017 and 2019 with an …