Child Malnutrition in India

While Indian efforts to combat child malnutrition in India have yielded some good results, the rate of reducing child stunting is just 1%. This is the lowest recorded rate of reducing chronic malnutrition among all emerging economies. India had planned to reduce child malnutrition to just 25% of all children by 2022. However, as per the current trends, 31.4% of children will still remain stunted in 2022. In light of children s death due to AES, this reflects poorly on our health indices and must call for improved efforts by the various Central and State governments.

Source of the Data

• The source of this data is a report, which has been prepared by the UN World Food Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• The report is the baseline analysis of the country s progress in achieving the second Sustainable Development Goal to end hunger.
• As per the report, while the productivity yields of food grains have improved by 33% in the last 20 years, it is still only half of the 2030 target yield.
• While the production of foodgrains has improved, the rising population has increased the stress on consumption.
• The per capita daily consumption of energy (1811 kilocalories) in the poorest 30% of the in the nation is much lesser than the required 2155 kilocalories needed for healthy living.
• Most shocking of all, almost 50% of all children in UP and Bihar are suffering from malnutrition.
• Child malnutrition is also high(40-50%) in children from the poor and depressed communities like the SCs & STs.

Child Malnutrition

Child malnutrition (stunting) is the impaired (detrimental) growth & development observed in children due to poor nutrition, inadequate food and social simulation. Stunted children exhibit weakness, have shorter physical proportions and have poor immunity to diseases.