A Stunted Growth Story

Malnutrition is a national disgrace. Can the Centre’s grand plan consign it to history?

- Lola Nayar

On November 4, the Global Nut­rition Report 2017 was released, and the ongoing tragedy of ­India’s underfed children was laid bare by up-to-date statistics: 38 percent of children und­er 5 in the country are stunted and 21 percent are aff­ected by wasting (low weight for their height) or severe wasting.  Many of these children are born with health issues, as 51 percent of women of reproductive age in India suffer from anaemia. Similarly, anaemia among children has remained persistently high at 58.4 percent for those aged between 6 and 59 months. This gives the lie to a narrative of progress supported by the decline in poverty. This sorry report comes even as a group of the country’s policymakers—the PMO, NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare—is finalising a new nat­ional policy intended to eliminate child malnutrition by 2022; this will be a ­daunting task, as children under 6 form 13.6 percent of the population.