There is an urgent need to revisit the national nutrition strategy so that India can move towards achieving the goal of eradicating hunger and preventing malnutrition in all its forms. Explain (200 Words)
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 5 years
KEY POINTS
· There is evidence now that undernutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight) and overweight and obesity co-exist and promote each other.
· In India, 47 million people are stunted, 25 million people are wasted, and 196 million suffer from chronic hunger. About 500 million suffer from vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
· There are many causes for malnutrition and undernutrition in various forms, and thus this cannot be addressed through siloed interventions.
· Changes in the food system have to be made so that outputs per unit of water, energy, land and other inputs are optimised and footprint of agriculture and non-farm activities in the food system are managed with the planetary boundaries.
· Right from the World Declaration on Nutrition in 1992, nutrition plans have focussed only on undernutrition.
· For the first time, 2014 Rome Declaration on Nutrition laid down dietary-related non-communicable diseases targets.
· India’s national nutrition policy (NNP) of 1993 focussed on undernutrition through supplementary nutrition and deficiencies of iron and Vitamin A.
· The 2018 national nutrition strategy continued the same with interventions around nutrition and healthcare of infants and young children, mothers, adolescents and address deficiencies of iron and Vitamin A.
· Poor progress on undernutrition is possibly due to the double burden of malnutrition which calls for an integrated approach and simultaneous action to address undernutrition and obesity and overweight together.
· Aflatoxin, a natural food contaminant, may lead to stunting and growth impairment in children, not only reducing their chances of long and productive lives, but perhaps also making them more susceptible to other illnesses. An unhealthy eating is often another factor.
· Addressing multiple dimensions and various forms of malnutrition requires an integrated policy, coherent action, and total transformation of the country’s food system.
Chinna 5 years
Kindly review... thank you...
IAS Parliament 5 years
Good attempt. Try to provide sub-headings. Keep Writing.
Saitama 5 years
Please review.
IAS Parliament 5 years
Good attempt. Keep Writing.
