Nutritional crisis: India has most ‘zero-food’ children at 6.7 million; third highest prevalance among 92 LMICs

Nutritional crisis: India has most ‘zero-food’ children at 6.7 million; third highest prevalance among 92 LMICs

Subject: Schemes

Section: Health

Context:

• A recent study highlights the alarming prevalence of children aged 6-23 months in 92 low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) who did not consume any food over 24 hours.

Definition of ‘Zero-food’ Children:

• ‘Zero-food’ children refer to those who did not consume any animal milk, formula, or solid or semisolid food during the last 24 hours.
• This category is critical because, at approximately six months of age, breastfeedingalone is insufficient to meet the nutritional needs of a child.
• Introducing solid or semisolid foods alongside breastfeeding is essential for fulfilling the nutritional needs of early childhood, playing a pivotal role in child growth and development.

Details:

• India, with 6.7 million ‘zero-food’ children, leads the count, constituting nearly half of the surveyed group’s total.
• This is despite the crucial need for solid or semisolid foods alongside breastfeeding to meet the nutritional requirements during early childhood, crucial for growth and development.
• India ranks third highest globally, with 19.3% of children not receiving food, following Guinea (21.8%) and Mali (20.5%).
• Nigeria and Pakistan also report significant numbers of ‘zero-food’ children, stressing the urgent need for targeted nutritional interventions in these regions.

Study findings:

• The study analysed data from demographic and health surveys (DHS) and multiple indicator cluster surveys (MICS) covering 276,379 children across 92 LMICs. The analysis focused on feeding practices, excluding breastfeeding and liquid feedings outside of a sensitivity analysis.
• 13.9 million children (10.4% of the sample) had not consumed any food in the last 24 hours.
• South Asia and West and Central Africa reported the highest prevalence of ‘zero-food’ instances.
• Over 99% of ‘zero-food’ children had been breastfed during the same period, indicating they received some form of nutrition.
• Latin America and the Caribbean, and East Asia and the Pacific, showed the lowest prevalence of ‘zero-food’ children.

Implications:

• The study underscores the significant impact of adequate feeding on reducing mortality, and malnutrition, and improving brain development and school readiness.

Government initiatives to curb malnutrition in India:

• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme: It was launched in 1975 and the program aims to provide food, preschool education, primary healthcare, immunization, health checkups, and referral services to children under 6 years old and their mothers.
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY): It is a Centrally Sponsored DBT scheme with a cash incentive of ₹ 5000/- (in three instalments) being provided directly in the bank/post office account of Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers.
• National Nutrition Mission (NNM): The government of India has launched the National Nutrition Mission (NNM), also known as POSHAN Abhiyaan, to eradicate malnutrition by the year 2022.
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan: The mission was launched in 2018 to accelerate anaemia decline by one to three percentage points annually.
• Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme: It aims to improve nutrition levels among school children in addition to increasing enrolment, retention, and attendance.
• National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013: NFSA Assuring food and nutrition security for the most vulnerable is the aim of this law, which makes access to food a legal entitlement.
• National Nutrition Strategy by NITI Aayog:
  • The nutrition strategy envisages a framework wherein 4 proximate determinants of nutrition – uptake of health services, food, drinking water and sanitation and income and livelihoods work together to accelerate the decline of malnutrition in India.
  • The Strategy envisages a Kuposhan Mukt Bharat – linked to Swachh Bharat and Swasth Bharat. Focus on behavioural change.
  • The aim is to ensure that States create customized State/ District Action Plans to address local needs and challenges with a greater role for panchayats and urban local bodies.

Source: DTE