DON'T WASTE THE FUTURE

Policymakers may need to focus less on expanding programmes and more on improving their effectiveness and reach, suggests the latest NFHS-6 data

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WHAT IS the marker of a healthy adulthood? It is good nutrition at early childhood, particularly during the first 1,000 days of life—from conception to a child's second birthday—when the brain develops rapidly and the body requires adequate nourishment to support healthy growth. Nutritional deficiencies during this formative period can have lasting impact on both physical and cognitive development. Ensuring right nutrition to children has therefore been a crucial development intervention in the health sector since the launch of planned development in the 1950s. Yet malnutrition remains one of India's most persistent development challenges. The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare underscores the scale of the problem. While India has made progress on several indicators of child and maternal health, the survey of 2023-24 shows that many still do not have access to adequate nutrition during the crucial first 1,000 days of life.