Malnutrition In India

Malnutrition is India’s silent emergency and among India’s greatest human development challenges. Although India has seen strong economic growth over the past 20 years, malnutrition in children under five years of age continues to be among the highest in the world. Malnutrition affects children’s chances of survival, increases their susceptibility to illness, reduces their ability to learn, increases their chances of dropping out early from school, and makes them less productive in later life. Much of this undernourishment happens during pregnancy and in the first two years of a child’s life and, without appropriate interventions, the damage to brain development and future economic productivity is largely irreversible.

Effects-

·         It has long-ranging effects on health, learning ability and productivity and has high social and public costs leading to reduced work capacity due to high rates of illness and disability.

·         In children, malnutrition tends to lower IQ and impairs cognitive ability, thus, affecting their school performance and productivity in later life.

·         Low-birth weight babies have impaired immune function but are at a greater risk of non-communicable diseases during their adulthood also.

Malnutrition negatively effects brain development causing delays in motor and cognitive development, such as:

• Attention deficit disorder
• Decreased IQ scores
• Memory deficiency
• Learning disabilities
• Reduced social skills
• Reduced language development
• Reduced problem-solving abilities

The causes of malnutrition in India can be categorised under the following headings:

The lack of knowledge of appropriate dietary practices and high incidence of infectious diseases are other key factors apart from lack of access to a variety of foods. On the other hand, with increasing level of disposable income among the urban population, there is increasing consumption of junk food and packaged food which is leading to malnutrition in urban areas as well.

Steps taken by Indian Government:

·         The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme was launched in 1975. ICDS is one of the world’s largest and most unique outreach programme for early childhood care and development and covers all the districts and blocks in the country.

• Mid- Day Meal Scheme was universalized in 1995.

Under Swatchh Bharat Mission, constructing toilets and providing clean drinking water are being taken up by the Government on a war footing to provide clean living conditions and good health to one and all