The Poor state of Hunger and Malnutrition in India
India ranked 94 among 107 nations in the Global Hunger Index 2020 and is in the ‘serious’ hunger category with experts blaming poor implementation processes, lack of effective monitoring, siloed approach in tackling malnutrition and poor performance by large states behind the low ranking
Performance on the Indicators:
Undernourishment: 14% of India’s population is undernourished (2017-19). It was 16.3% during 2011-13.
Child Wasting: 17.3% (2015-19), it was 15.1% in 2010-14.
Child Stunting: 34.7%, it has improved significantly, from 54% in 2000 to less than 35% now.
Child Mortality: 3.7%, it was 5.2% in 2012.
An average girl child aged less than 5 years is healthier than her male peers. However, over a period of time they grow into undernourished women in India.
Malnutrition and anaemia are common among Indian adults.
A quarter of women of reproductive age in India are undernourished, with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 kg/m (Source: NFHS 4 2015-16).
Both malnutrition and anaemia have increased among women since 1998-99.
33% of married women and 28% of men are too thin, according to the body mass index (BMI), an indicator derived from height and weight measurements.
Underweight is most common among the poor, the rural population, adults who have no education and scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
2% of women and 24.3% of men suffer from anaemia, and have lower than normal levels of blood haemoglobin.
Anaemia has increased in ever-married women from 1998-99. Among pregnant women, anaemia has increased from 50% to almost 58%.
