THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF
HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI A. RAJA)
(a) India accounts for 40 per cent of the world`s
malnourished children, as per the World Bank Report `Wasting
Away-the Crisis in India`. To address the problem of
malnutrition the Government of India adopted the National
Nutrition Policy in 1993. The Policy advocates a multi-
sectoral approach for controlling the problem of
malnutrition and improving nutrition of the people. The
National Nutrition Policy contains short-term direct
interventions as well as long-term indirect interventions.
(b) The nutritional status of children in India and
Rajasthan as reported by the National Family Health Survey
(II), 1998-99 is at Annexure-I.
(c) Various measures adopted by the Government to improve
the nutritional status of the population including the child
population, inter-alia include, increase in agricultural
production; improvement of purchasing power of the people
through income generation schemes; making available
essential food items at subsidized costs through public
distribution system; nutrition education to increase
awareness and affecting behaviour change in feeding
practices, including exclusive Breast feeding and
appropriate complementary feeding practices in infants and
young children. Supplementary feeding programmes including
the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme, Special
Nutrition Programme, Balwadi Nutrition Programme and Mid-day
Meal Programme are under implementation.
A programme for prevention of specific micronutrient
deficiency of iodine, and prophylaxis programmes for
preventing blindness due to Vitamin A deficiency and
nutritional anaemia due to deficiency of iron and folic
acid are being implemented by the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare. A pilot project for control of
micronutrient malnutrition is also under implementation.
(d) The National Family Health Survey II, 1998-99 reported
that 74.3 percent of children under three years had anaemia.
(e) The State-wise prevalence of anaemia in children under
the age of 3 years is at Annexure-II. Under the
Reproductive and Child Health Programme Iron and folic acid
tablets are provided for treatment and prophylaxis of
nutritional anaemia. In addition, exclusive breast-feeding
and appropriate complementary feeding practices are being
promoted.
ANNEXURE-I
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN PART B OF REPLY TO LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1577 FOR 29.11.2000
NUTRITONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN IN 1ND1A AND RAJASTHAN
Percent of children under three years classified as
undernourished on their anthropometrical indices of
nutritional status
Weight for Height for Age Weight for Height
Age
Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent
Below - below - below - below -
below below 3SD 2SD 3SD 2SD@
-3SD -2SD
India 18.0 47.0 23.0 45.5 2.8 15.5
Rajasth 20.8 50.6 29.0 52.0 1.9 11.7
an
Note: Each index is expressed in standard deviation units
(SD) from the median of the International Reference
Population.
Includes children who are below -3 SD from the
International Reference Population median.
ANNEXURE-IIII
Percent of children
Age Under 3 Years with any
Anaemia
NATIONAL FAMILY HEALTH SURVEY-2
SI.No 1 INDIA 74.3
Urban 70.8
Rural 75.3
2 North
Delhi 69
Haryana 83.9
Himachal Pradesh 69.9
Jammu & Kashmir 71.1
Punjab 80
Rajasthan 82.3
3 CENTRAL
Madhya Pradesh 75
Uttar Pradesh 73.9
4 EAST
Bihar 81.3
Orissa 72.3
West Bengal 78.3
5 NORTH EAST
Arunachal Pradesh 54.4
Assam 63.2
Manipur 45.2
Meghalaya 67.6
Mizoram 57.2
Nagaland 43.7
Sikkim 76.5
6 WEST
Goa 53.4
Gujarat 74.5
Maharastra 76
7 SOUTH
Andhra Pradesh 72.3
Karnataka 70.6
Kerala 43.9
Tamil Nadu 69
