The hunger and malnutrition cycle of India

 

Malnutrition is a drastic result of inadequate or an unbalanced diet. Starvation is a form of malnutrition, which is reached when people are not able to provide themselves with a sufficient amount of food. Hunger and malnutrition in India - two sides of the same coin; a drastic effect of hunger, malnutrition continues to grip the nation even to date. Despite various economic achievements, one can notice an increasing number of malnourished children in India; most of whom are below three years of age.

Economic inequality is one of the chief reasons for hunger and malnutrition in India. Let’s state this for you, so you are able to see the vicious rut the low-income groups are stuck in – a person from a low status economic and social group is often not able to fend for himself/herself or the family, wherein good quality and quantity of food is concerned, for general sustenance. When a woman suffers from malnutrition, she also endangers her life and is less likely to give birth to a healthy child. This cycle continues and gives rise to the next generation of unhealthy individuals who aren’t able to perform in the functioning of society. Malnourished individuals are more likely to be infected with diseases like pneumonia and tuberculosis, leading to a higher mortality rate. Therefore, we can agree that hunger and malnutrition in India, both, have long-lasting effects on individuals and society.

Hungerand malnutrition in India amongst its children has grown over the last few years at frightening rates. Over the years, several government enterprises have been launched to combat hunger and malnutrition in India, however, matters concerning malnutrition continue to persist despite minor improvements. Save the Children, too, has been the vanguard to tackle the issue of hunger and malnutrition in India with various initiatives:

a) Grassroots Centres have been built in Tonk, Rajasthan, which has a Malnutrition Treatment Centre to address Severe Acute Malnutrition.

b) The Nutrition for Babies drive was launched to provide nutrition rehab to the malnourished and additional provisions to mothers, nurses, doctors, and families.

c) Set in different villages across Maharashtra and Jharkhand, ‘Poshan Vatikas’ are gardens that produce seasonal vegetables that are looked after by Save the Children-trained school teachers and ‘Aanganwadi Sevikas’.

d) Aaharam, an annexe of Mission Nutrition was commenced by the NGOs partner GlaxoSmithKline in Chennai slums to establish communal awareness about undernourishment.

e) The Village Child Development Centre in Maharashtra cares for malnourished children across 30 Integrated Child Development Scheme Centres, supported by Anganwadi workers in the tribal regions of Thane district, where children are also observed for malnutrition.

f) Another programme to battle hunger and malnutrition in India is the Stop Diarrhoea Initiative that strives to improve WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) levels across slums in Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.

These programmes organised and executed by Save the Children to battle hunger and malnutrition in India entails high expense. Children’s health can influence the nation’s growth in significant ways. 

Join them to fight hunger and malnutrition in India. Visit https://support.savethechildren.in/ to donate!

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