Eradicating Malnutrition – a big challenge
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: January 16, 2012 -

A survey conducted across 100 focus districts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh by Naandi Foundation found a very high 42 percent of children under five years are severely or moderately underweight. The findings of the Hunger and Malnutrition report also states that 59 percent of them suffer from severe stunting or that their height is much lower than median height of the reference population. As is to be expected, the prevalence of malnutrition is much higher among children from the low income group. Also that, children from Muslim and SC/ST families are also the worst suffer of malnutrition.

The findings also point to negligence of the girl child as she grows older when it comes to nutrition intake. These are indeed shocking statistics which negates all the advancements in various fields which the country has made. According to the latest data of the UNICEF one in three malnourished children worldwide is found in India and that the prevalence of child malnutrition in India is worse than sub-Saharan Africa.

This clearly shows the country and particularly those who have been at the helm of affairs of the country have not done enough to address the issue. While the number of underweight children has come down from 53 percent recorded in 2004 to the present 42 percent, it is still a very high percentage and considering the growth in population, the absolute numbers is bound to be significantly high.

The report once again underscores the fact that the high rate of economic growth of the country has not benefited a large section of the society - a very high percentage by any standard. While releasing the report, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself admitted that the level of prevalence of malnutrition in the country is "unacceptable".

The present UPA government has been banking on the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) to make a dent in the prevalence of malnutrition. But it is clear that ICDS alone is not enough to fight this war against malnutrition. The Prime Minister himself has admitted to the inadequacy of ICDS looking at the latest figures of malnourished children in the country.
While ensuring proper implementation of ICDS through strict monitoring to plug loopholes, it is necessary to come up with additional schemes for intervention.

It is indeed a pity that a country which boasts of having made huge strides in science and technology, of being a nuclear power, of having launched satellites in space, built missiles could not give enough nutrition to huge, almost half the population of its children. It is all the more ironic, considering the fact that India has large surplus of food grains and huge quantities go waste because lack infrastructure for storage and poor network of distribution.

It is a shame that the government has not done enough either to stock the food grains in a proper manner or to distribute it to the needy. The latest findings of the Hunger and Malnutrition report of Naandi Foundation once again calls attention to a very uncomfortable fact which calls need urgent redressal.

The situation in Manipur as far as malnutrition of children is concerned is relatively much better.

As per the Classification of Nutritional Status of Children under the ICDS scheme as on December 31, 2009, a total of 1,90,815 children are covered by the scheme out of which 25,935 were moderately malnourished while only 453 were severely malnourished.

But we should not be complacent and strive to eradicate malnutrition completely from the state. Candidates who aspire to become people's representative and parties which hope to run the affairs of the state should pay adequate attention ensuring that children of the state grow up healthy both physically and mentally.