Question : Malnutrition among Women and Children

(a) whether the problem of malnutrition is still prevalent among women and children in the country, particularly in tribal, rural and backward/ hilly areas and the Government has identified the malnutrition prone districts in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof indicating the surveys/reports done in this regard and the number of malnourished, underweight and stunted women and children identified, State/ UT-wise along with the reasons for prevalence of malnutrition;

(c) whether the World Health Organisation and UNICEF have also drawn attention towards high prevalence of malnutrition in the country and fixed criteria in this regard and if so, the details thereof;

(d) the details of the schemes implemented by the Government for eradication of malnutrition along with the funds allocated/released and utilised there-under during each of the last three years and the current year, Scheme and State/UT-wise;

(e) the impact of schemes in eradication of malnutrition in the country and

(f) the further measures taken by the Government to make the country free from malnutrition.

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

(a) & (b) As per the recent report of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) – 4 conducted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2015-16, 35.7% children under 5 years of age are underweight and 38.4% are stunted indicating a reduction from the previous NFHS – 3 conducted in 2005-06, which reported 42.5% children under 5 years of age as underweight and 48% stunted. Further, 22.9% women (15-49 years of age) have chronic energy deficiency (BMI less than 18.5) which is a decline from the previous NFHS-3 levels which reported 35.5% women having chronic energy deficiency. The State-wise details are at Annexure-I. The Government has identified the high burden districts which are prone to malnutrition as per the list at Annexure-II.

(c) Consultations and discussions with UNICEF and other stakeholders to reduce the level of malnutrition amongst children and women is a continuous process.

(d) to (f) Government is implementing several schemes and programs like Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme as direct targeted interventions to address the problem of malnutrition in the country. Recently, National Nutrition Mission has been set up to act as an apex body for monitoring and guiding the nutrition related issues of various government schemes. The State-wise funds allocated and utilized under each of the schemes during the last three years and the current year are at Annexure-III, IV and V.

All these schemes address one or other aspects related to nutrition and have the potential to improve nutritional outcomes in the country. As a result of these concerted efforts, the level of malnutrition and anaemia in children has reduced in the country as is evident from the recent report of National Family Health
Survey (NFHS) – 4, 2015-16.

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