A study by the Washington-based
agri think tank International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
released Thursday has argued for a change in India’s approach to its malnutrition
problem — by going beyond the current focus on health and stressing district-by-district
reduction of socio-economic inequality and especially, gender inequality.
The study has analysed and
spatially mapped data from the National Family Health Survey 4 (NFHS
2015-16) on India’s high childhood stunting prevalence of 38.4%, and concluded
that very high-stunting districts could eliminate 71% of the gap with
low-stunting districts if they are able to improve on specific issues of gender
and inequality.
These include differences in women’s
low body mass index (which accounts for 19% of the gap), women’s
education (12%), children’s adequate diet (9%), assets (7%), open
defecation (7%), age at marriage (7%), antenatal care (6%),
and household size (5%). Stunting prevalence (percentage of under-5
children who have a low height for their age) is an important indicator of the
nutritional status of children.
A third of the global
population of stunted preschoolers are in India. NHFS 4 data cited in the
study show that the district-level variation in stunting lies in a wide range
of 12.4% in Ernakulam (Kerala) to 65.1% in Bahraich (UP). More than two-thirds
of India’s 640 districts, mainly in north and central India, have high
to very high levels of stunting: 202 districts have a stunting prevalence
of 30%-40%; in 239 districts, levels are above 40%.
“The study shows that only
focusing on health- and nutrition-related factors under the existing ICDS
scheme isn’t enough; there is need to address gender-related inequalities at
the district level so as to reduce stunting. Factors concerning women across
their life cycles, such as their education, nutrition, age at marriage, care
during and after pregnancy, play a significant role, as do the overall
socio-economic status of the household,” said Purnima Menon, Senior Research
Fellow at IFPRI, and lead author of the study.
The findings are significant
coming just when the union government has launched its National Nutrition
Mission (POSHAN Abhiyaan) with a district-level focus to reduce stunting.
Credit: Indian Express Explained (http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-lower-socio-economic-inequality-holds-key-to-reducing-malnutrition-india-5190015/)
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