Malnutrition, described as “a national shame” by former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, is one of the greatest challenges faced by our country. Despite robust economic growth, India’s child malnutrition rate is worse than many sub-Saharan African countries. India is home to the greatest population of severely malnourished children in the world. Four hundred million children suffer from the diseases associated with malnutrition.
Malnutrition is more common in rural India where income and food variety are lower. According to the National Family Health Survey of India, 55% of children living in rural areas suffer from malnutrition compared to 45% of children in urban areas. The situation is particularly grim in the states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. It is true that in rural areas, females with little or no education more commonly raise malnourished children.
Malnutrition makes children more prone to illness and deters physical and intellectual growth for a lifetime. Malnutrition is also a major contributor to infant mortality in rural India. Besides, being underweight, anaemia and low immunity are some common consequences of malnutrition. As per some researches, in India, more than 75 percent of preschool children suffer from iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and 57 percent of preschool children have sub-clinical Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). Besides, the prevalence of underweight in rural areas is 50 percent as compared to 38 percent in urban areas.
The root of the problem
Malnutrition is the result of a wide range of factors, including overpopulation, poverty, environment pollution, lack of education, gender inequality and inaccessible medical care.
* Overpopulation is posing a great threat to the Indian society. This problem is linked to several other problems, including competition for food and thereby leading to malnutrition, especially in rural areas where the access to food is limited.
* Poverty is a major cause of malnutrition because it limits the amount of food. A deficiency in food leaves millions starving, many of whom are children.
* The environment is affected by air, water and land pollution. Pollution is ultimately creating problems for food growth, sanitation and spreading illnesses through the air and water.
* Lack of education is a serious challenge, resulting in malnutrition in rural India. Unfortunately, many people in India are still living with the curse of illiteracy. These people are still are not acquainted with the facts like nutrition, family planning, breast-feeding and parenting.
* Last but not the least, the availability of medical care is very limited in rural India.
Programmes and initiatives to eradicate malnutrition
Several programmes were adopted by the government to eradicate malnutrition from all over the country. These include Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), National Children’s Fund (NCF) and National Rural Health Mission. India is a signatory to the survival and development goals, devised by the World Summit on children 1990. In order to implement these goals, the Department of Women & Child Development has also adopted a National Plan of Action on Children. In addition, UNICEF has been helping India to eradicate malnutrition.
The task of eradicating malnutrition may take some time but is not unattainable.
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