Question : UNDER NUTRITION IN THE COUNTRY

(a) whether the ongoing efforts have failed to eliminate the under-nutrition in the country;

(b) whether the Government have ever felt the need to have an universal screening of vulnerable groups and initiate targeted food supplementation and health care for the under- nourished as observed by the Deputy Chairman of Planing Commission in April, 2003;

(c) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(d) the present level of under-nutrition in various States of country; and

(e) the steps taken by the Government to improve the nutritional levels of poor or vulnerable groups in the last five years and the results achieved State-wise?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI JASKAUR MEENA)

(a) The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2) conducted in 1998-99 revealed that the prevalence of under-weight children (0-3 years) came down to 47% as compare to 53.40% (0-4 years ) at the time of NFHS-I conducted in 1992-93.

(b) & (c) As per information received from the Planning Commission, the Tenth Plan has envisaged that in order to achieve the goal of 50% reduction in severe under-nutrition by 2007, it is imperative to operationalize universal screening of pregnant women, infants and pre-school and school children for under-nutrition and operationalize health and nutrition intervention for management of identified under-nourished persons through targeted food supplementation and health care, coupled with effective monitoring of these individuals and their families.

(d) State-wise data on under-nutrition as per NFHS-2 is given in the Statement anexed (Annexure-I).

(e) Implementation of programmes such as Integrated Child Development Services Scheme, Nutrition Component of Prime Minister’s Gramodaya Yojana, National Programme for Nutritional Support to Primary Education (Mid-Day Meal Scheme), Targeted Public Distribution System, Antyodaya Anna Yojana, etc., aiming, inter-alia, at improving the nutritional level of vulnerable groups are being continued. State-wise changes in nutrition status based on NFHS-I and NFHS-2 are given in the Statement anexed (Annexure-II).

Annexure-I

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2369 FOR 6.8.2003 BY SHRI KALAVA SRINIVASULU REGARDING UNDER-NUTRITION IN THE COUNTRY

State wise percentage of women and children suffering from malnutrition as per NFHS 2 (1998-99)

S.No. State Women# Under weight Children (CED) (0- 3 years of age) Moderate & Severe Severe India 35.8 47.0 18.0 1. Delhi 12.0 34.7 10.1 2. Haryana 25.9 34.6 10.1 3. Himachal Pradesh 29.7 43.6 12.1 4. Jammu & Kashmir 26.4 34.5 8.3 5. Punjab 16.9 28.7 8.8 6. Rajasthan 36.1 50.6 20.8 7. Madhya Pradesh 38.2 55.1 24.3 8. Uttar Pradesh 35.8 51.7 21.9 9. Bihar 39.3 54.4 25.5 10. Orissa 48.0 54.4 20.7 11. West Bengal 43.7 48.7 16.3 12. Arunachal Pradesh 10.7 24.3 7.8 13. Assam 27.1 36.0 13.3 14. Manipur 18.8 27.5 5.3 15. Meghalaya 25.8 37.9 11.3 16. Mizoram 22.6 27.7 5.0 17. Nagaland 18.4 24.1 7.4 18. Sikkim 11.2 20.6 4.2 19. Goa 27.1 28.6 4.7 20. Gujarat 37.0 45.1 16.2 21. Maharashtra 39.7 49.6 17.6 22. Andhra Pradesh 37.4 37.7 10.3 23. Karnataka 38.8 43.9 16.5 24. Kerala 18.7 26.9 4.7 25. Tamil Nadu 29.0 36.7 10.6
#	Excludes women who were pregnant and women with a birth in the preceding two months.
· Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED): CED is usually indicated by a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18.5. The BMI is defined as weight in Kilograms divided by the height in metres squared (Kg/m2).
· Moderate & Severe : Children who are more than two standard deviation below the reference median on any of the indices are considered to be undernourished.
· Severe:- Children who fall more than three standard deviation below the reference median are considered to be severely undernourished.
ANNEXURE-II
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (e) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2369 FOR 6.8.2003
BY SHRI KALAVA SRINIVASULU REGARDING UNDER-NUTRITION IN THE COUNTRY
Women & Child Nutrition Indicators - Statewise Comparative Statement
Sl State IMR Percent of Percent Chronic
N [per 1000 Children of women Energy live Underweight with Deficiency births] anaemia (CED) for Women NFH NFHS- NFH NFHS- NFH NFHS- NFHS- NFHS- S-I II S-I II S-I II I II (92- (98- (92- (98- (92- (98- (92- (98- 93) 99) 93) 99) 93) 99) 93) 99) 0-4 0-3 yrs yrs
1 Andhra 70.4 65.8 49.1 37.7 Not 49.8 Not 37.4 Pradesh ava avai ila lable ble
2 Arunachal 40.0 63.1 39.7 24.3 62.5 10.7 Pradesh
3 Assam 88.7 69.5 50.4 36.0 69.7 27.1
4 Bihar 89.2 72.9 62.6 54.4 63.4 39.3
5 Chattisgarh NA 80.9 NA 60.8 68.7 NA
6 Goa 31.9 36.7 35. 28.6 36.4 27.1
7 Gujarat 68.7 62.6 50.1 45.1 46.3 37.0
8 Himachal 55.8 34.4 47.0 43.6 40.5 29.7 Pradesh
9 Haryana 73.3 56.8 37.9 34.6 47.0 25.9
10 J&K 45.4 65.0 44.5 34.5 58.7 26.4
11 Jharkhand NA 54.3 NA 54.3 72.9 NA
12 Karnataka 65.4 51.5 54.3 43.9 42.4 38.8
13 Kerala 23.8 16.3 28.5 26.9 22.7 18.7
14 Madhya 85.2 86.1 57.4 55.1 54.3 38.2 Pradesh
15 Maharashtra 50.5 43.7 54.2 49.6 48.5 39.7
16 Manipur 42.4 37.0 30.1 27.5 28.9 18.8
17 Meghalaya 64.2 89.0 45.5 37.9 63.3 25.8
18 Mizoram 14.6 37.0 28.1 27.7 48.0 22.6
19 Nagaland 17.2 42.1 28.7 24.1 38.4 18.4
20 Orissa 112.1 81.0 53.3 54.4 63.0 48.0
21 Punjab 53.7 57.1 45.9 28.7 41.4 16.9
22 Rajasthan 72.6 80.4 41.6 50.6 48.5 36.1
23 Sikkim NA 43.9 NA 20.6 61.1 11.2
24 Tamil 67.7 48.2 48.2 36.7 56.5 29.0 Nadu
25 Uttar 99.9 86.7 59.0 51.7 48.7 35.8 Pradesh
26 West 75.3 48.7 56.8 48.7 62.7 43.7 Bengal
27 Delhi 65.4 46.8 41.6 34.7 40.5 12.0 All 78.5 67.6 53.4 47.0 51.8 35.8 India