As per Lancet study in 2017, 68% of 1.04 million deaths of children under five years in India are due to malnutrition.
Comprehensive National Nutrition reveals that in India half of all children under five years are found to be either stunted or wasted.
The survey was carried out by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and UNICEF.
What are the effects of malnutrition?
Children who survive from malnutrition do not perform well in the school as they could otherwise do.
Their brains do not develop to the fullest & tend to fall short of their real potential — physically as well as mentally.
Malnourished children are more susceptible to illnesses, their bodies become weaker.
Thus, any nutrition interventions have to be made within the crucial period of 2 years of child birth. Once missed it could result in irreversible damage to child’s physical & mental well-being.
What are the steps taken to address malnutrition?
ICDS, mid-day meal programme, and PDS are the early childhood nutritional intervention schemes made by the state.
POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched in 2018 to tackle malnutrition in holistic way by strengthening the delivery of essential nutrition interventions.
India needs to ensure coverage of every single child and mother, along with 12 months of Poshan Maah (Nutrition Month), 52 weeks of breastfeeding weeks and 365 days of take-home ration.
How does COVID pandemic pose challenge to malnutrition?
Pandemic has led to economic insecurities by disproportionately reducing the incomes of vulnerable sections.
It forced girls to early marriage, early motherhood, discontinue their schooling, reducing institutional deliveries.
It disrupted supplementary food under Anganwadi centres, mid-day meals, immunisation and micronutrient supplementation.
Thus, it has pushed millions into poverty and affected economically disadvantaged to malnutrition and food insecurities.
How can we address this challenge?
More funds have to be earmarked to preserve nutritional security particularly women and children in slum areas, migrants, tribal population.
To truly grasp the COVID-19-caused nutrition crisis, the country must track nutrition indices through data systems.
Evidence generated through data will help in tracking the positive impact of POSHAN Abhiyaan.
In this challenging backdrop, leaders from across the stream had come together to support government in a six-pronged action for nutrition.
The clear action points towards sustained leadership, dedicated finances, multi-sectoral approach and increased uninterrupted coverage of a vulnerable population in nutrition programmes.
Efforts need to be accelerated & nutrition has to be given primary importance else it will derail the nutrition gains India has already made.
