- Prelims: Current events of national importance(Different social service Schemes,micronutrients, Anemia FAO, GHI, NFHS-5, POSHAN, ICDS, Mid-day meal scheme etc)
- Mains GS Paper I & II: Social empowerment, development and management of social sectors/services related to Health.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
- India has to prioritize the health and nutrition of its adolescent girls.
- National Family Health Survey-5 data shows that every second Indian woman is anemic, every third child is stunted and malnourished, and every fifth child is wasted.
- According to an FAO Food Security Report for 2021, India ranks 101 out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2021.
INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE
Context
Malnutrition:
- Malnutrition is the condition that develops when the body is deprived of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ function.
- Malnutrition occurs in people who are either undernourished or over nourished.
Importance of nutrition during adolescence period:
- Adolescence is a pivotal period of cognitive development.
- It improves the access to nutrition during this “second window of opportunity of growth”.
- It compensates for any nutrient deficiencies acquired during early developmental stages in the girl child.
- Adolescent health is a significant indicator of women’s labor force participation in India in the long term.
- As better nutrition improves every young girl’s prospect to participate in productive activities.
Nutritional concern of adolescent girls:
- Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to undernutrition and anemia due to the onset of menstruation.
- National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) 59.1(fifty nine point one)% of adolescent girls were found to be anemic.
- NFHS-4 reported over 9(forty one point nine)% of school-going girls as underweight.
- Factors that affect the nutrition uptake in adolescent girls:
- Environmental conditions
- Cultural norms that lack a gender-neutral environment within a household.
Impact of poor nutrition:
- Poorly balanced and insufficient diets can lead to cognitive impairments that affect one’s academic performance.
- It can result in lower educational attainment, which can limit opportunities for employment and economic self-sufficiency later in life.
- Undernourished adolescent girls are at a higher risk of chronic diseases and pregnancy complications
- It can lead to a higher health-care burden on both families and communities, potentially leading to financial instability and increased poverty.
- They are less likely to participate fully in society, whether through work, politics, or community involvement.
What steps need to be taken?
- Redefine interventions such that we not only center it around good nutrition but also adopt a life-cycle approach, ensuring that no girl gets left behind.
- Investment can help break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, as well-nourished girls are more likely to have healthy babies and provide better care for their families.
- Few strategic modifications to existing interventions can significantly expand the scope of its outcomes.
- The convergence of various government initiatives:
- Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) within the umbrella of the Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition programme (POSHAN) 2.0 is a step in the right direction.
- Targeted adolescent-oriented schemes such as the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) could include even stronger awareness and nutrition education programmes that would help sustain beneficiary compliance.
- Targeted and regionally contextualized Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) efforts around adolescent girls’ nutrition are sure to generate greater demand and the adoption of good practices.
- It is imperative for effective convergence and collaborations among all the relevant departments, in a way that fosters a collective endeavor.
- Routine training of health workers for effective implementation and monitoring of various schemes, and to adapt with an evolving landscape, is also a crucial step in this process.
Anemia:
- The condition of having lower than normal number of red blood cells or quantity of hemoglobin.
- It can make one feel tired, cold, dizzy, and irritable and short of breath, among other symptoms.
- A diet which does not contain enough iron, folic acid or vitamin B12 is a common cause of anemia.
Iron deficiency anemia:
- It is a common cause of too few healthy red blood cells in the body (anemia).
- In a pregnant woman: iron deficiency puts the baby at risk of developmental delays.
- World Health Organization (WHO): Iron deficiency anemia is responsible for 6(three point six)% of disability-adjusted life years or DALYs (years of life lost due to premature mortality and years lived with disability).
PM POSHAN:
Way Forward
- India beholds a colossal opportunity to add to its nation’s demographic dividend by investing in nutrition interventions in adolescent girls.
- Progress has been made in improving crucial health indicators in the form of various government initiatives that have successfully achieved optimum coverage.
- It is essential to acknowledge that current health interventions do not specifically focus on the nutritional statuses of adolescent girls.
- Investing in girls’ nutrition is not only the moral obligation of the state but also an economic one, with potential returns in the form of greater and more sustainable economic growth of the nation.
- A holistic narrative on adolescent girls’ nutrition, explaining its linkages with overall mental and physical well-being, individual productivity and overall economic growth of the country is needed.
- Evidence/data that effectively appeals to all, to those outside the technical community, and must be framed to make it actionable.
- Amplify vital discourse on nutrition, to work towards protecting and improving the nutritional status of adolescent girls in our country.
- Investment: Tackling the complex issue of nutrition among adolescent girls is not just a health concern, but is an investment in the future of the nation.
- There is enormous responsibility, as well as a tremendous opportunity, to ensure the welfare and the upliftment of the nation by prioritizing the nutritional needs of India’s girls.
QUESTION FOR PRACTICE
Can the vicious cycle of gender inequality, poverty and malnutrition be broken through microfinancing of women SHGs? Explain with examples.(UPSC 2021) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)
