Child nutrition crisis may derail India’s aspirations
4 years ago

Child nutrition crisis may derail India’s aspirations

Deccan Chronicle  

It can be tempting to blame every crisis on the Covid-19 pandemic. Children in the 6-50 months group who are anaemic has risen from 65.7 per cent in 2015-2016 to 72.8 per cent in 2019-2020 Or take Gujarat, a relatively affluent state. “We don’t have granular data for all states and Union territories as yet but the first lot of data from NFHS-5 points to worsening malnutrition and anaemia in several states. Some experts point out that the work of the Narendra Modi government’s flagship National Nutrition Mission and Anaemia Mukt Bharat campaign, with an ambitious target of reducing anaemia by three percentage points per annum till 2022, are not really captured in the NFHS-5 data because they really got going only recently. According to the Accountability Initiative of the Centre of Policy Research, only 14 states in India could utilize 100 per cent of the funds allocated to them for mid-day meals for the year 2018-2019, and states like Telangana, Assam and Goa used only two-third of the money allocated to them under this head.

India Nutrition Children Data States Child Anaemia Cent Union Territories Nfhs  crisis  cent  derail  aspirations  poor  states  nfhs5  20152016  nutrition  child  undernutrition  children  anaemia  indiaâs  data

History of this topic

India's love for golu-molu kids is feeding an epidemic
3 weeks, 2 days ago

India's love for golu-molu kids is feeding an epidemic

India Today  

Till a year ago, 12-year-old Dinesh weighed 110 kg. Doctors say that obese children and adults are at a higher risk of developing chronic health conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and kidney issues. "In Indian culture, being thin has historically been linked to poverty, a classist stereotype that associates a lack of weight …

Addressing malnutrition as a strategic investment in the nation's future
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Addressing malnutrition as a strategic investment in the nation's future

Hindustan Times  

As a three-time elected Member of Parliament, I have had the privilege of witnessing various advancements in our country’s public health policy. The high burden of diseases resulting from malnutrition contributes to escalating health care costs for the government as well as increased out-of-pocket expenditures for individuals. Without independent means of livelihood, and subject to discriminatory social practices within households, …

Addressing malnutrition as a strategic investment in the nation's future
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Addressing malnutrition as a strategic investment in the nation's future

Hindustan Times  

As a three-time elected Member of Parliament, I have had the privilege of witnessing various advancements in our country’s public health policy. {{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} The high burden of diseases resulting from malnutrition contributes to escalating health care costs for the government as well as increased out-of-pocket expenditures for individuals. Without independent means of livelihood, and subject to discriminatory social practices …

How India can break the cycle of hunger: Insights from Sudarshan Suchi, CEO of Bal Raksha Bharat
3 months, 2 weeks ago

How India can break the cycle of hunger: Insights from Sudarshan Suchi, CEO of Bal Raksha Bharat

Hindustan Times  

Malnutrition among women and children has been a persistent public health issue at the global, national and local levels and the recent UNICEF-WHO-World Bank Group Joint Malnutrition Estimates show that globally, 149.2 million children under five years were stunted in 2020, and 45.4 million suffered from wasting. Breaking the cycle of hunger: How India’s bold new plan could end malnutrition …

Women and Child Development Ministry: 36% children aged under 5 stunted, 17% underweight
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Women and Child Development Ministry: 36% children aged under 5 stunted, 17% underweight

The Hindu  

About 17% of children in the age group of 0-5 years are underweight, while 36% are stunted and 6% are wasted, the Women and Child Development Ministry said on July 26. Wasted refers to children who are too thin for their height, indicating acute malnutrition often due to a recent and severe weight loss. Underweight children have a low weight …

Missing in manifestos: children’s issues
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Missing in manifestos: children’s issues

The Hindu  

Children form about 30% of India’s population, but they are invisibilised during elections. What have some of the major political parties promised to shape our children’s and nation’s future, especially in terms of nutrition, education, and health? Education On education, the BJP’s manifesto promises to strengthen the network of PM SHRI Schools, Ekalavya Schools, and other such schools as per …

Report turns spotlight on India’s ‘zero-food children’
9 months, 1 week ago

Report turns spotlight on India’s ‘zero-food children’

The Hindu  

Sunita Gautam, a 26-year-old domestic help, wonders if she will be able to provide her 11-month-old infant boy the nutrition he requires. Ms. Gautam’s baby, called Babu as is customary across the Hindi belt, is likely to be one of millions of ‘zero food’ children aged six months to 23 months in Uttar Pradesh. A study published recently in the …

Most Number of ‘Zero-Food Kids’ Globally: Decoding India’s Malnutrition Crisis
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Most Number of ‘Zero-Food Kids’ Globally: Decoding India’s Malnutrition Crisis

The Quint  

Dr Rajiv Tandon agrees. He says that among India’s many vulnerable populations, a more attentive and focused strategy needs to be introduced to help children in the most backwards of areas where last mile reach of government programmes may not be equitable. He says: The data might be able to show that the parents and primary caregivers of these children …

India slips in global hunger index, New Delhi slams report
1 year, 2 months ago

India slips in global hunger index, New Delhi slams report

Live Mint  

New Delhi: India said the Global Hunger Index suffers from “serious methodological issues” after the 2023 edition saw the country slip four places to rank 111 out of 125 countries. India reported the world’s highest child wasting rate of 18.7%, indicating acute undernutrition, as per the report released by the Concern Worldwide and Welt Hunger Hilfe, non-government organizations from Ireland …

43 lakh children below the age of five identified as obese or overweight: official data
1 year, 3 months ago

43 lakh children below the age of five identified as obese or overweight: official data

The Hindu  

More than 43 lakh children in the 0-5 age group were identified as obese or overweight last month, accounting for around 6% of the total children surveyed at Anganwadi centres across the country, according to official data. Out of the 7,24,56,458 children “measured” in the 0-5 years age category, approximately 6% or 43,47,387 children, were classified as obese or overweight, …

What’s behind the rising rates of childhood obesity in India? | In Focus podcast
1 year, 4 months ago

What’s behind the rising rates of childhood obesity in India? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

India is staring at a strange problem: malnutrition among children has not gone away, but at the same time, there is an increasing burden of childhood obesity. The latest National Family Health Survey reported that 33 States and Union Territories in the country registered a spike in the number of overweight children. Changing lifestyles including diets, easy access to unhealthy …

More than just mothers: Why women’s and girls’ nutrition deserves our collective attention
1 year, 4 months ago

More than just mothers: Why women’s and girls’ nutrition deserves our collective attention

Hindustan Times  

Nutrition is crucial for leading a healthy and productive life. Nutrition for girls and women is a gender equity issue much beyond maternal and newborn outcomes; it involves prioritising overall quality of life for their own well-being as well as their families and communities and for achieving their full potential as a citizen of the society and country. A comprehensive …

India’s triumphs over poverty marred by an alarming hunger crisis as over 70 per cent of Indians fails to afford healthy food
1 year, 5 months ago

India’s triumphs over poverty marred by an alarming hunger crisis as over 70 per cent of Indians fails to afford healthy food

The Hindu  

Published : Jul 21, 2023 12:38 IST - 3 MINS READ Government think-tank NITI Aayog’s recent report, released on July 17, revealed a remarkable achievement in India’s fight against multidimensional poverty. However, despite these positive strides in economic development, a consortium of esteemed organisations including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, …

Fixing India’s malnutrition problem
2 years, 1 month ago

Fixing India’s malnutrition problem

The Hindu  

The Global Hunger Index 2022 has brought more unwelcome news for India, as far as its global ranking on a vital indicator of human development is concerned. Government schemes are not delivering Experts have suggested several approaches to address the problem of chronic malnutrition, many of which feature in the centrally- For instance, the Government of India implements the Saksham …

India slips to 107th position in Global Hunger Index, government alleges bias
2 years, 1 month ago

India slips to 107th position in Global Hunger Index, government alleges bias

The Hindu  

Published : Nov 03, 2022 10:25 IST The Global Hunger Index report of 2022, published in mid October, shows India’s place to have fallen to 107 from the previous year’s 101, out of 121 countries. “India has made significant progress in the fight against hunger since 2000, but the regression or stagnation that has occurred in child wasting cannot be …

Why ensuring nutrition for its children is emerging as India’s silent emergency
2 years, 2 months ago

Why ensuring nutrition for its children is emerging as India’s silent emergency

Firstpost  

Better nutrition is related to improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of non-communicable diseases and longevity With a population of over 1.25 billion, 22 official languages and half a dozen major religions, India has always been a country with a unique blend of paradoxes. Better nutrition is related to the improved …

National Nutrition Week 2022: Nutrition tips for children to maintain their health
2 years, 3 months ago

National Nutrition Week 2022: Nutrition tips for children to maintain their health

Firstpost  

Children are always the focus of the household for obvious reasons, right? Another important aspect while we talk of healthy eating habits in children would be to cut down their junk and processed food intake. In the age of online food ordering apps playing their best marketing tricks and television fuelling the fire with the most attractive Apart from a …

Starved of data: India’s hungry people go missing from FAO report
2 years, 4 months ago

Starved of data: India’s hungry people go missing from FAO report

The Hindu  

Published : Jul 24, 2022 18:00 IST The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022” report begins with a dismal piece of data: the number of people unable to afford a healthy diet has increased by 112 million to touch 3.2 billion, a reflection of rising food prices during the pandemic. Even though …

Number of undernourished people in India declines to 224.3 million; obesity among adults on the rise: U.N. report
2 years, 5 months ago

Number of undernourished people in India declines to 224.3 million; obesity among adults on the rise: U.N. report

The Hindu  

The number of undernourished people in India has declined in the last 15 years to 224.3 million in 2019-2021, according to a U.N. report, which also said that there are more obese adults and anaemic women in the world’s second most populous country. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 report, issued on July 6 by …

Number of undernourished people in India declines to 224.3 million; obesity among adults on the rise, finds UN report
2 years, 5 months ago

Number of undernourished people in India declines to 224.3 million; obesity among adults on the rise, finds UN report

Firstpost  

The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 report was issued on Wednesday by UN agencies Food and Agriculture Organisation, International Fund for Agricultural Development, UNICEF, World Food Programme and the World Health Organisation United Nations: The number of undernourished people in India has declined in the last 15 years to 224.3 million in 2019-2021, according to …

Malnutrition in India is a worry in a modern scenario
2 years, 6 months ago

Malnutrition in India is a worry in a modern scenario

The Hindu  

Good nutrition has the power to empower the present and future generations. India’s greatest national treasure is its people — especially women and children — but even after 75 years of independence, a majority of them do not get the required diet to meet their nutritional needs. Poor nutrition among pregnant women affects the nutritional status of the child and …

Over 33 lakh children in India malnourished, 17.7 lakh of them severely malnourished: govt data
3 years, 1 month ago

Over 33 lakh children in India malnourished, 17.7 lakh of them severely malnourished: govt data

India TV News  

Over 33 lakh children in India are malnourished and more than half of them fall in the severely malnourished category with Maharashtra, Bihar and Gujarat topping the list, the WCD ministry has said in response to an RTI query. Prompting concern that the Covid pandemic could exacerbate the health and nutrition crisis among the poorest of the poor, the Women …

Data | Where does India stand on the global hunger index?
3 years, 2 months ago

Data | Where does India stand on the global hunger index?

The Hindu  

India was ranked 101 out of 116 countries in the recently released Global Hunger Index. The results of the National Family Health Survey-5 also showed that in the majority of the States for which data were released, stunting and wasting increased compared to the 2015-16 survey round. Click to remove AMP mode Nutrition assessment According to the GHI, the prevalence …

Aakar Patel | As India's rank falls in Global Hunger Index, govt is in denial
3 years, 2 months ago

Aakar Patel | As India's rank falls in Global Hunger Index, govt is in denial

Deccan Chronicle  

In 2015, India’s ranking on the Global Hunger Index was 55. The representativeness of even this opinion poll is doubtful for India and other countries.” The government appears to be saying that it is doing its job by providing free grain to 60 per cent of the population, or over 800 million people. The United States Commission for International Religious …

Why is the Madhya Pradesh government replacing eggs with milk in midday meals?
3 years, 2 months ago

Why is the Madhya Pradesh government replacing eggs with milk in midday meals?

Live Mint  

Eggs were at the heart of a recent political controversy in Madhya Pradesh, with the state’s chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, declaring that his government would not be distributing them in anganwadis during mid-day meals. Edited excerpts: Your thoughts on the Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to replace eggs with milk in mid-day meals at anganwadis. Since protein deficiency is significant …

Alarming hunger or statistical artefact?
3 years, 2 months ago

Alarming hunger or statistical artefact?

The Hindu  

This year’s Global Hunger Index did not go down well with the government. Had the GHI been estimated using the latest data on calorie intake, usually provided by the National Sample Survey Office, things might have looked even worse given that the leaked report of 2019 indicated that consumption expenditure in India declined between 2011-12 and 2017-18 by 4%. Tackling …

Global Hunger Index | Only 3.9% children malnourished, says government
3 years, 2 months ago

Global Hunger Index | Only 3.9% children malnourished, says government

The Hindu  

The value of a key indicator used in the Global Hunger Index is ‘inflated’ as there are only 3.9% anganwadi children found to be undernourished, the Government said on Sunday. “The real time data of beneficiaries registered on the Anganwadi platform include 7.79 crore children aged between 6 months to 6 years as per real-time Poshan Tracker data. Corresponding number …

Use the latest research to combat child under-nutrition
3 years, 2 months ago

Use the latest research to combat child under-nutrition

Live Mint  

Today’s children are tomorrow’s assets for any nation and hence their optimal development ought to be a focal concern in framing welfare policies. Here, we discuss the evolution of children’s malnutrition research and how India’s battle against child malnutrition warrants urgent policy action in the wake of covid. The next group of factors are referred to as ‘underlying causes’, which …

Failing on food: The Hindu Editorial on child malnutrition and the value of good school meals
3 years, 2 months ago

Failing on food: The Hindu Editorial on child malnutrition and the value of good school meals

The Hindu  

The approval of the PM POSHAN scheme by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs until 2025-26 comes at a critical time when real income declines and the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have affected the ability of families to ensure good nutrition. The centrally supported hot meal programme in Government and Government-aided schools, covering 11.8 crore children, will be …

High levels of maternal and child under nutrition continue to plague India: UNICEF official
3 years, 2 months ago

High levels of maternal and child under nutrition continue to plague India: UNICEF official

The Hindu  

Arjan De Wagt, Head, Nutrition, UNICEF India speaks to The Hindu’s Bindu Shajan Perappadan on how high levels of maternal and child under nutrition continue to plague the country, and the impact COVID-19 has had on the gains India has made in economic and human development in recent decades. Some data has been gathered from telephone surveys, community assessments and …

'Children come hungry to school, breakfast could make a difference' | The Hindu In Focus Podcast
3 years, 3 months ago

'Children come hungry to school, breakfast could make a difference' | The Hindu In Focus Podcast

The Hindu  

Earlier this month, the Union Education Ministry told a parliamentary panel that the plan to serve breakfast to students in government schools had to be shelved as the Finance Ministry had refused to sanction the Rs. The refusal comes at a time when the country is facing a malnutrition crisis -- data from the latest National Family Health Survey shows …

Bombay HC warns Maharashtra govt of strict action if any more children die of malnutrution
3 years, 4 months ago

Bombay HC warns Maharashtra govt of strict action if any more children die of malnutrution

India Today  

The Bombay High Court on Monday warned the Maharashtra government that the state health secretary will be responsible if any more children die due to malnutrition in the tribal belt of Melghat in Amravati district. The division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni was hearing a batch of petitions concerning the deaths of children due to …

Midday meals leave a long-lasting impact: study
3 years, 5 months ago

Midday meals leave a long-lasting impact: study

The Hindu  

Girls who had access to the free lunches provided at government schools, had children with a higher height-to-age ratio than those who did not, says a new study on the inter-generational benefits of India’s midday meal scheme published in Nature Communications this week. Court mandate The midday meal scheme was launched in 1995 to provide children in government schools with …

Due to pandemic, underprivileged children in Delhi unable to get nutrition and health services
3 years, 6 months ago

Due to pandemic, underprivileged children in Delhi unable to get nutrition and health services

India Today  

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and consecutive lockdowns, underprivileged children in Delhi are unable to access much-needed nutrition and health services. We must remember that schools are not just for learning, but also places where children socialise, develop emotionally and, for some, find a refuge from troubled family life,” said Jatin Mondar, deputy director of programme management at the non-governmental …

India must strengthen ICDS, midday meals to tackle paradox of falling nutrition outcomes amid rising GDP
3 years, 8 months ago

India must strengthen ICDS, midday meals to tackle paradox of falling nutrition outcomes amid rising GDP

Firstpost  

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted policy focus to health in an unprecedented manner. The data on stunting, wasting and underweight are usually collected from Demographic and Health Surveys, a collection of nearly 400 surveys across 90 countries. The percentage of GDP spent by India on health has been low compared to countries like China, and the average in Latin America …

Data | Progress on child nutrition derailed as wasting and stunting increases in several States
4 years ago

Data | Progress on child nutrition derailed as wasting and stunting increases in several States

The Hindu  

Four key metrics which represent the nutritional status of children recorded a significant fall in 2019-20 compared to the levels in 2015-16 in many major States, reversing the considerable progress achieved in earlier periods. In States such as Gujarat, Himachal, Maharashtra and W.B., a higher % of children were anaemic in 2019-20 compared to 2005-06. image/svg+xml Unable to view chart? …

Discouraging numbers: On National Family Health Survey 2019-20
4 years ago

Discouraging numbers: On National Family Health Survey 2019-20

The Hindu  

With a debilitating death toll and an economic recession, India has had among the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. But an express indication of the possible scale of the crisis can be gleaned from the data from the newly released National Family Health Survey 2019-20 which was conducted before the pandemic and its impact. In indicators related to women’s …

Stepping out of the shadow of India’s malnutrition
4 years ago

Stepping out of the shadow of India’s malnutrition

The Hindu  

“School- er prarthana sabhar somoy hotat matha ghure pore jaoar ghotona hamesai ghotte dekhi amra. Global reports, measures Two recent reports — the annual report on “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020” by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the 2020 Hunger report, “Better Nutrition, Better Tomorrow” by the Bread for …

Need to step up efforts to meet nutrition targets, says NITI Aayog report
4 years ago

Need to step up efforts to meet nutrition targets, says NITI Aayog report

The Hindu  

The National Nutrition Mission or the Poshan Abhiyaan — the world’s largest nutrition programme for children and mothers — must be stepped up in order to meet the targets set by the Centre to reduce stunting, wasting, and anaemia by 2022, warns a report by NITI Aayog with only a little over a year left to reach its goals. We …

No great escape: The Hindu Editorial on India’s low rank on nutritional indices
4 years, 2 months ago

No great escape: The Hindu Editorial on India’s low rank on nutritional indices

The Hindu  

India’s poor progress on nutritional indices must dispel the hubris surrounding strong economic growth for years, and turn national focus on persisting hunger, wasting and stunting among children. This year’s Global Hunger Index places India in the company of Sudan — rank 94 among 107 countries — with the unedifying assessment of the national situation as “serious”. Strengthening the PDS, …

India ranks 94th among 107 countries in Global Hunger Index; 14% population estimated to be undernourished
4 years, 2 months ago

India ranks 94th among 107 countries in Global Hunger Index; 14% population estimated to be undernourished

Firstpost  

Bangladesh, Myanmar and Pakistan too are in the ‘‘serious’’ category but ranked higher than India in this year’s hunger index. New Delhi: India ranked 94 among 107 nations in the Global Hunger Index 2020 and is in the ‘‘serious’’ hunger category with experts blaming poor implementation processes, lack of effective monitoring, siloed approach in tackling malnutrition and poor performance by …

India fares poorly in hunger index
4 years, 2 months ago

India fares poorly in hunger index

The Hindu  

India has the highest prevalence of wasted children under five years in the world, which reflects acute undernutrition, according to the Global Hunger Index 2020. India fares worst in child wasting and child stunting, which together make up a third of the total score. Pandemic effect Globally, nearly 690 million people are undernourished, according to the report, which warns that …

Underprivileged Children, Lactating Mothers Hit Badly Due To Covid-19; PIL Before SC Seeks Formulation Of New Covid Centric Nutrition Strategy [Read Petition]
4 years, 3 months ago

Underprivileged Children, Lactating Mothers Hit Badly Due To Covid-19; PIL Before SC Seeks Formulation Of New Covid Centric Nutrition Strategy [Read Petition]

Live Law  

A public interest litigation has been filed before the Supreme Court of India seeking directions for formulation of a uniform Covid-19 centric nutrition strategy for underprivileged children and lactating mothers who have been badly hit due to closure of schools and Anganwadis and also due to reverse migration. The PIL states- "The closure of government schools and Anganwadis during the …

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