.

“Problem of malnutrition is a matter

of national shame.”

Shameful Facts

• Despite India’s remarkable economic

growth over the last decade, many

children still struggle to meet their most

basic needs, including access to

sufficient food and health care.

• 33% of the world’s malnourished

children live in India.

• In India, 48% of children under the age

of 5 are stunted and 43% are

underweight.

• Malnutrition is costing the Indian

economy 2.95% of its GDP annually.

• Importantly with 43% of children

underweight ( with a weight deficit for

their age) rates of child underweight in

India are twice higher than the average

figure in sub-Saharan Africa (22%).

Causes of Malnutrition

Consequences of

Malnutrition •Nearly 9 million children die every

year before the age of five – that is

nearly one child every three seconds

across the world.

•Every 25 seconds, an Indian child

dies unnecessarily because of poor

nutrition.

• Malnutrition is a contributing

factor in over 50% of deaths in

children under five”- World Bank

Multi-stakeholder platform brings people together

which can help in reduction of Malnutrition

Technical

Community

United

Nations

Government

Partners

Civil

Society

Donors

Business

Align other sectors with nutrition goals

The multi-stakeholder

platform

Works to align and

coordinate action

across sectors.

Women’s

Empowerment

Health

Development

& Poverty

Reduction

Agriculture

Education

Social

Protection

Prioritise the 1,000-day window

3.1 million children die every year due to malnutrition. An additional 165 million

children who manage to survive malnutrition in their early years

experience stunted growth and cognitive development, undermining their future productivity and therefore income. We need to focus on nutrition of mothers

and children during a child’s first 1,000 days, an effort that can have long-term

consequences for growth, health and intellectual capacity.

Bring girls’ health into focus

More than one in four children born in low- and middle-income groups in India

are underweight for their age. In addition, most pregnant women cannot

access nutrition services until the fifth or sixth month of their pregnancies, if at all. As a result, their children start their lives already malnourished. If we prioritise

the health of women and girls, we can boost general nutrition, reduce

pregnancy complications and boost fetal growth and development.

Expand reach through

community health workers • .

Community health worker programs offer a prime opportunity to increase already

successful nutrition programs’ coverage and provide services to populations who presently

lack access. Several countries, including Ethiopia, have already started investing in

community health worker programs to promote maternal and child health and nutrition with great success. Community health workers hold great promise to bring

nutrition services to those most vulnerable to malnutrition, and their capacity to carry out this work should therefore be strengthened.

Implementation: The Thing in

which we always lack

Midday meal scheme

in Indian schools

Integrated child

development scheme

National Children's

Fund

National Plan of

Action for Children

National Rural Health Mission

United Nations

Children's Fund

We have 6 schemes already in place . The solutions can be made by working in

existing framework but with newer methods like community health workers who

will work like BPO official . Any one can complain , suggest or coordinate with

them.

Service sector can also play important role by providing 24 hour helpline . IT

companies can also help in bringing the adequate data to minimize the problem.

Rather than thinking of vote bank politics the central and state governments

should work on implementation. A Special committee should be formed including

officials from the central and state governments to work towards eradicating this

problem. We also need to hold policymakers accountable to their commitments to

nutrition progress and harness the global momentum on nutrition to produce more

effective programs

The solutions have key fundamental

and implementation risks Fundamental risks

Mishandling of funds

Lack of responsibility

No awareness and lack of knowledge

among people about schemes

Implementation Risks

Difficulty in integrating with

government schemes

Lack of community health

workers

Lack of coordination among

sectors for nutrition goals.

How these solutions would impact?

• If these solutions are implemented properly we can reduce

the number of chronically undernourished children by

millions.

• Reduction in Malnutrition would lead to more productivity

and increase in innovation which would lead to growth of

the country in long run.

Sources

• ^ "World Bank Report". Source: The World Bank (2009). Retrieved

2009-03-13. "World Bank Report on Malnutrition in India“

• ^ "2011 Global Hunger Index Report". International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

• ^ "World Bank Report". Source: The World Bank 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-25. "India Country Overview 2009“

• " ^ "Journal of the American Medical Association". Source: JAMA 2004. Retrieved 2009-11-26. "The global burden of chronic diseases" ^ "Malnutrition". Retrieved 13 February 2012. ^

• "The Indian exception". The Economist. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2012. ^ "Putting the smallest first". The Economist. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2012.