Over 33 Lakh Children In India Are Malnourished, Maximum Under Severely Acute Category: Report

More than 33 lakh children in India suffer from malnutrition, and over half of them fall under the severe category. The report was released by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in response to an RTI query by the Press Trust of India (PTI).

According to the ministry, of the total estimated number, 17.76 lakh are severely acute malnourished children (SAM) and 15.46 lakh moderately acute malnourished (MAM) children. Children, under both categories, suffer from a high risk of infections, diseases, and deaths.

The data has been updated up till October 14, 2021, The Indian Express reported.

The figures were also registered on the government application 'Poshan', a tracker app developed for real-time monitoring of nutritional outcomes. The numbers were entered by Anganwadis, but there are no age specifications available.

There has been an alarming increase of 91 per cent in the SAM category from last year, up from 9,27,606 (9.27 lakh) in November 2020 to 17.76 lakh by October this year. The data was collected from 36 states and union territories.

According to the World Health Organisation, children under SAM have a very low weight-for-height or a mid-upper arm circumference less than 115 mm. The children are nine times more prone to die if they catch any disease due to their weak immune system.

Under MAM, a child's mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) is greater or equal to 115 mm and less than 125 mm. Children under this are also at high risk of morbidity and mortality during childhood, the media reported.

Maharashtra, Bihar, Gujarat Top The List

Maharashtra tops the list, with a maximum number of malnourished children, followed by Bihar and Gujarat among 34 states and union territories analysed.

Maharashtra has around 6.16 lakh malnourished children, while Bihar recorded 4.75 lakh cases, and Gujarat registered the third-highest number of such children at 3.20 lakh cases. The number increased after the coronavirus hit the country.

Speaking about the alarming figures, Child Rights and You (CRY) CEO Puja Marwaha stated that COVID remained the primary reason for the increased numbers. The pandemic impacted all socio-economic indicators negatively and stagnated the growth made in the last few years.

"Services like ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme) and midday meals in schools have become irregular during the prolonged closure of schools. These have severely affected children living in multi-dimensional poverty as they are largely dependent on these services to fulfil their rights and entitlements," Marwaha told PTI.

Of the other states, Andhra Pradesh reported the fourth-highest number, with 2.76 lakh malnourished children, followed by Karnataka with 2.49 lakh cases; Uttar Pradesh has 1.86 lakh, Tamil Nadu with 1.78 lakh cases, and so forth.

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