The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released data fact sheets for 22 States and Union Territories (UTs) based on the findings of Phase I of the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5).
Findings: (in comparison to NFHS-4)
-
Prevalence of severe acute malnutrition: Increased in 16 states/UTs, only two big states (Karnataka and Kerala) have shown some marginal improvements.
-
Percentage of Underweight children (under five): increased in 16 out of 22 states.
-
Anaemia: increased among children and adult women in most States.
-
Adult malnutrition (BMI of less than 18.5kg/m2): Increased in many states.
-
Overweight/obesity prevalence among children and adults: Most States/UTs saw an increase.
-
Childhood stunting: An indicator of chronic undernutrition and considered a sensitive indicator of overall well-being, increased in 13 of the 22 States/UTs.
-
The World Health Organization calls stunting “a marker of inequalities in human development”.
-
-
Positive trends: In determinants of malnutrition such as access to sanitation, clean cooking fuels and women’s status – a reduction in spousal violence and greater access of women to bank accounts.
Government’s efforts to contain malnutrition:
-
Social protection schemes and public programmes:
-
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
-
Public Distribution System
-
Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)
-
Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
-
-
Poshan Abhiyaan(2017): aimed at achieving 2% reduction in childhood stunting per year.
-
Associated issues:
-
Underfunding and underutilization of funds: Only about 32.5% of the funds released for Poshan Abhiyaan from 2017-18 onwards had been utilised.
-
Slowdown in economic growth, stagnant rural wages and high levels of unemployment
-
Pandemic and lockdown-induced economic distress.
-
Inadequacy of diets in India both in terms of quality and quantity: ‘Hunger Watch’ survey shows high levels of food insecurity and decline in food consumption, especially among the poor.
-
Way forward:
-
Direct interventions: such as supplementary nutrition (of good quality including eggs, fruits, etc.), growth monitoring, and behaviour change communication through the ICDS and school meals must be strengthened and given more resources.
-
Universal maternity entitlements and child care services: Enabling exclusive breastfeeding, appropriate infant and young child feeding as well as towards recognising women’s unpaid work burdens.
-
Linkages between agriculture and nutrition: Both through what foods are produced and available as well as what kinds of livelihoods are generated in farming sector.
-
Focus on basic determinants of malnutrition: like household food security, access to basic health services and equitable gender relations.
Conclusion: An employment-centred growth strategy which includes universal provision of basic services for education, health, food and social security is imperative to ensure nutritional security and sustainable development of India.