India is a country of contrasts. On one hand, it is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and on the hand, it houses the most number of malnourished kids in the world. Our country runs the world's largest anti-malnutrition program, with the government pumping huge money to eradicate this disturbing problem.
Seems like the stringent efforts made by the government to eradicate malnutrition in India are finally paying off. According to a new report, there has been a decrease in malnutrition in children in India by almost 1 percent every year. Though the death rate due to malnutrition has come down drastically, still a whopping 68 percent of the kids die every year due to the same.
A malnutritioned child
According to the India State-Level Disease Burden report published by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 39 percent of the children in India have low growth, with Uttar Pradesh reporting the maximum number, 49 percent. India also has about 33 percent of underweight children, with Jharkhand topping the list with 42 percent.
About 60 percent of anemic kids in India are anemic and about 54 percent of women suffer from the disease. Delhi tops the list with the highest level recorded for anemia, about 60 percent.
Though there's a reason to cheer up as these numbers are going down, another problem that is on a rise in India is obesity. The central state of Madhya Pradesh records the highest number of people with increasing obesity.
In order to achieve our Sustainable development goals, we need to eradicate the existing issues while keeping a check on other rising problems. A balanced approach to all the issues is going to go a long way.
