Malnutrition in India

3rd August, 2021 Society

Context:

Government has told the Rajya Sabha that there are over 9 lakh children with severe malnutrition in the country as of November 30 last year.

Poor uneducated women don’t focus on children nutrition.
Poor sanitations, lack of access to good quality food, lack of access to mineral drinking water are biggest reasons behind it.
Birthing child in lower age, poor nutritional status of pregnant women and lack of adequate gap between two children are other reasons.
Low per capita income, Higher food inflation especially fruit inflation, monodiet (having rice and lentils only) further aggravates the malnutritions.
Poor implementation of the Policies like ICDS (Integrated Child development scheme), corruption in implementation of Mid-day meal scheme, lack of convergence between different ministries is other policy related causes.
Poor fund utilization: Many States have only utilized 16% of their allotted funds in National Nutrition Mission.

ICDS scheme: It focuses on improving the nutritional and health status of children in the age group 0-6 years. It involves:

Mid day meal: It focuses on improving the nutritional status of children.

Poshan Abhiyan:

POSHAN Abhiyaan has been set up by Government of India on 18.12.2017 for a three-year time frame commencing from 2017-18 with an aim to reduce the level of stunting in children (0-6 years), under-nutrition (underweight prevalence) in children (0-6 years) and Low Birth Weight at 2% per annum and reduce anaemia among young children (6-59 months), women and adolescent girls at 3% per annum across the country.
It ensures convergence with various programmes, organising Community Based Events; incentivising States/UTs for achieving goals.

Other Approach:

Include pulses in the PDS, mid day meal for dealing with protein hunger.
National Horticulture mission is an attempt to reduce the micronutrient malnutrition.

Schemes has not been able to utilise the budget allotted to them. Most revised figures have been downgraded from estimate budgeted figures.
In Poshan Abhiyan, much focus has been on digitisation of the process than achieving the convergence in the schemes.
National nutrition mission doesn’t focus on making low cost nutrition diet popular among the masses to make nutrition diet available for everyone.
It doesn’t make focus on disseminating information to public about basic dietary practices for children, adolescents, and mothers. For example, what is a balanced diet on a limited budget.
National nutrition mission doesn’t focus on breaking down the silos existing between health and women & child ministry to provide a comprehensive package for dealing with malnutrition.

Focus on nutrition-related interventions, beyond digitisation;
Intensify the convergence component of POSHAN Abhiyaan, using the platform to bring all departments in one place to address nutrition;
Direct the announcement to form 10,000 farmer producer organisations with an allocation of Rs. 500 crore to nutrition-based activities;
Promotion of youth schemes to be directed to nutrition-agriculture link activities in rural areas;
Give explicit emphasis and fund allocation to agriculture-nutrition linked schemes;
Ensure early disbursement of funds and an optimum utilisation of schemes linked to nutrition.