The Health and Family Welfare Ministry released data fact sheets for 22 States and Union Territories based on the findings of Phase I of the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5). NFHS-4 had also collected information about fertility, family planning, maternal mortality and other aspects of women’s health. It is expected that NFHS-5 will use these data to improve understanding of current trends in women’s health and their reproductive and sexual health.
Malnutrition: In a country of great contrasts, India is facing the paradoxical situation of showing an increase in more people suffering from severe acute malnutrition at the same time as it presents a picture of overall improvement in food and nutritional security. The percentage of children under five who are underweight has also increased in 16 out of the 22 States/UTs. There is also an increase in the prevalence of other indicators such as adult malnutrition measured by those having a Body Mass Index of less than 18.5kg/m2 in many States/ UTs.
Anaemia: Anaemia is a major public health problem that causes significant morbidity and mortality. It has historically had a particularly high prevalence in India. Anaemia levels among children as well as adult women have increased in most of the States with a decline in anaemia among children being seen only in four States/UTs.
Obesity: It is perhaps time to get serious about obesity. The wider prevalence of obesity in all States/UTs has more to do with the increased availability of high energy density calories and refined carbohydrates in the diet. This dietary shift may have been facilitated by a number of social, economic, and cultural changes in post-liberalization India.
Stunting: Stunting is the reduction in children’s physical height as a result of malnutrition during their crucial first 1,000 days. The data report an increase in childhood stunting in 13 of the 22 States/UTs compared to the data of NFHS-4.
Starvation: Volunteers of the Right to Food campaign have listed over 100 starvation deaths based on media and/or verified fact-finding reports since 2015. While there is no complete data available, this should not stop us from bringing attention to some alarming facts.
Food insecurity: Food insecurity is an endemic problem in a country whose economic growth, though welcome, will not lessen sharply or rapidly enough to reverse the dynamics of food consumption patterns and insecurity faced by most of its large population. Field surveys such as ‘Hunger Watch’ are already showing massive levels of food insecurity and decline in food consumption, especially among the poor and vulnerable households.
The country has seen improvements in determinants of malnutrition such as access to sanitation, clean cooking fuels and women's status, a reduction in spousal violence and greater access of women to bank accounts. However, malnutrition rates remain high compared to the global average, especially in rural areas.
Direct interventions such as supplementary nutrition, growth monitoring and behavior change communication through the ICDS and school meals must be strengthened and given more resources. These interventions also provide the bedrock for investments in programs that combine the improved supply of food with incentives to farmers, including conditional cash transfers.
India has done little to address its women’s health needs despite much progress in its economy in the recent past. According to a report by Save the Children India, India lags behind many countries when it comes to maternity entitlements. The report argued that universal maternity entitlements, infant and young child feeding policies and recognition of women’s unpaid work burdens are all on the agenda for long but not much progress has been made on these.
There is an urgent need for a comprehensive employment-centered growth strategy in which universal provision of basic services such as education, health, food and social security becomes imperative. If you cannot provide basic services to the population, making them productive will be virtually impossible.
India has made great strides in reducing poverty and improving food and nutrition security. Expansion in social protection schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Public Distribution System, the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), and school meals have contributed to a reduction in absolute poverty as well as previous improvements in nutrition indicators. Expansion in social protection schemes has contributed to increasing in household expenditure.
