Malnutrition

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is an essential indicator of nutrition and malnutrition, released recently.

India ranked 107 out of 121 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2022.
India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) from 2019-21 reported that in children below the age of five years, 35.5% were stunted, 19.3% showed wasting, and 32.1% were underweight.

Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s energy and nutrient intake.

Because of low purchasing power, the poor cannot afford to buy the desired amount and desired quality of food for the family.
This adversely affects their capacity for physical work, and they earn less. This starts a vicious cycle of poverty, undernutrition, diminished work capacity, low earnings and poverty.
Feeding habits
Lack of awareness of the nutritional qualities of food, irrational beliefs about food, and inappropriate child-rearing and feeding habits all lead to undernutrition in the family.
Food monotony
Overreliance on a few staple crops and low dietary diversity is a leading causes of persistent malnutrition.
Hidden hunger
Hidden hunger, or micronutrient deficiencies, occurs when the quality of food that people eat does not meet their nutrient requirements, so they are not getting the essential vitamins and minerals they need for their growth and development. It affects two billion people across the globe.
Infections
Infections like malaria and measles or recurrent attacks of diarrhoea may precipitate acute malnutrition and aggravate the existing nutritional deficit.
Climate change

Climate change can produce toxins in crops and worsen the nutritional value of cultivated food.
Climate change increases the threats to those who already suffer from hunger and undernutrition.
Urbanisation

According to a study, India’s absolute urban area expansion until 2030 would take over 4 million hectares.
Thus, India’s infrastructure developments and land-use change in favour of industries and mining are severely affecting the food and nutritional security of the country’s poorest.
The rapid succession of pregnancies
In large families, a rapid succession of pregnancies adversely affects the mother’s nutritional status.

Hamper economic productivity
The World Bank says, “A 1% loss in adult height due to childhood stunting is associated with a 1.4% loss in economic productivity”.
Affect future generations
Stunting has lasting effects on future generations. Since 53.1% of women were anaemic in 2015-16, this will have a lasting impact on their future pregnancies and children.
Cognitive development
Undernutrition can affect cognitive development by causing direct structural damage to the brain and by impairing infant motor development.” This, in turn, affects the child’s ability to learn at school, leading to a lifetime of poverty and lack of opportunity.
Health effects
Undernourished children have significantly lower chances of survival than well-nourished children.

National Nutrition Mission (NNM), or Poshan Abhiyaan
The goals of NNM are to improve the nutritional status of children from 0-6 years, Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women, and lactating Mothers in a time-bound manner during the next three years beginning 2017-18.
National Nutrition Strategy of 2017 (NITI Aayog)

It is to achieve a malnutrition-free India by 2022.
The plan is to reduce stunting prevalence in children (0-3 years) by about three percentage points per year by 2022 from NFHS-4 levels and achieve a one-third reduction in anaemia in children, adolescents and women of reproductive age.
Integrated Child Development Services Scheme(ICDS)
ICDS is a government programme in India which provides food, preschool education, primary healthcare, immunisation, health check-up and referral services to children under six years of age and their mothers.
National Health Mission
NHM aims to attain universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care services, accountable and responsive to people’s needs, with effective inter-sectoral convergent action to address the wider social determinants of health.

There is persuasive evidence from several countries of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of large-scale staple food fortification to address “hidden hunger” or micronutrient deficiencies.
The effectiveness of iodised salt in significantly reducing iodine deficiency is well-established in India empirically.
Invest judiciously in social welfare programmes
A significant expansion of elementary education, extending a wide range of essential services and facilities, from healthcare and clean water to social security and basic infrastructure.
Diversify the Public Distribution System (PDS)
By including fortified foods and high-nutrition foods such as millet. Besides, strengthen MGNREGA to ensure better food security.
Climate-smart agri-food systems
Climate-smart agri-food systems will be needed both to increase resilience to unavoidable climate changes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Improve access to public healthcare
Improve access to public healthcare for poorer communities with the successful implementation of the Ayushman Bharat- National Health Protection Scheme.
Sound public service delivery mechanisms

Sound public service delivery mechanisms, especially in the nutrition, health and education sectors.
Building a cadre of dedicated professionals in the government will cater for the purpose, which needs a high degree of political will and administrative commitment centred around developing skills and knowledge and building motivation to stay the course.
Targeted approach
Interventions should be targeted with more focus on states with a high prevalence of malnutrition.

Content Source: The Hindu