Context: According to the latest UN inter-agency estimates, India has the highest child-wasting rate globally, with over 18% of Indian children affected by wasting in 2020.
Other findings:
India had a stunting rate of 31.7 per cent in 2022, down from 41.6 per cent in 2012
India had an overweight percentage of 2.8 per cent in 2022, compared to 2.2 per cent in 2012.
India is the largest country in southern Asia, where half of all children with wasting in the world live
More than three-quarters of all children with severe wasting live in Asia
There is insufficient progress to reach the 2025 World Health Assembly (WHA) global nutrition targets and UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goal target 2.2.
Comparison of stunting, wasting, and malnutrition:
Stunting
Wasting
Malnutrition
Definition
Low height-for-age due to chronic or recurrent undernutrition
Low weight-for-height due to recent and severe weight loss
Deficiencies or excesses in nutrient intake, imbalance of essential nutrients, or impaired utilization
Causes
Poverty, poor maternal health and nutrition, frequent illness, inappropriate feeding and care in early life
Impaired growth and development, weakened immunity, increased susceptibility to diseases
Prevalence
Globally, over 22% of children under 5 were affected by stunting in 2022 (148.1 million children)
Globally, around 7% of children under 5 were affected by wasting in 2022 (45 million children)
The double burden of malnutrition affects many countries, with undernutrition and overweight/obesity coexisting
Long-term consequences
Stunting can lead to permanent physical and cognitive impairments, reduced productivity in adulthood
Severe wasting without timely treatment can result in death
Malnutrition can have long-term health consequences, including increased risk of noncommunicable diseases
Interventions
Improving maternal health and nutrition, promoting breastfeeding, access to nutritious food, improving sanitation and hygiene, health education
Timely detection and treatment, therapeutic feeding, access to healthcare services
Promoting balanced and nutritious diets, improving food security, and addressing socioeconomic factors
World Health Assembly (WHA)global nutrition targets
In 2012, the World Health Assembly identified six nutrition targets to be met by 2025. These are: Reduce stunting by 40% in children under 5; Reduce the prevalence of anaemia by 50% among women in the age group of 19-49 years; Ensure 30% reduction in low-birth-weight; Ensure no increase in childhood overweight; Increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months up to at least 50%; Reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5%.