Lok Sabha Question No. 2097 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Malnutrition in School Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Asaduddin Owaisi, Imtiaz Jaleel Syed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2097 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.09.2020

## MALNUTRITION IN SCHOOL CHILDREN

2097.   SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI: SHRI SYED IMTIAZ JALEEL:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  malnutrition  in  children  is  increasing  with  each  passing  year especially during the current time due to non-availability of  health facilities and closure of schools for a prolonged period and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  there  is  any  scheme  to  monitor  malnutrition  status  in  school  children,  if  so,  the details thereof:
- (c) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  extend  Poshan  Scheme  in  schools  to  monitor  the status of school children: and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and further steps taken or being taken by the Government to monitor malnutrition among school children?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (d)            The nutritional status of children is monitored through National surveys conducted periodically by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The recently conducted Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) (2016-18) captures the data on nutritional status of school going children.  As  per  this  survey,  21.9%  children  are  stunted  and  35.2%  are  underweight  in  the  age group of 5 - 9 years and 24.1% children are underweight in the age group of 10-19 years.

In order to improve the nutritional status of school going children, the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in Schools is implemented by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, wherein one mid-day meal is provided to children as per the nutritional standards provide in the Schedule-II of the National Food Security Act, 2013. Presently, as it is not possible to provide hot cooked meal under  the  prevailing  circumstances  (COVID-19),  States/UTs  have  been  advised  to  provide  Food Security Allowance (FSA) comprising of food grains, pulses, oil, etc., (equivalent to cooking cost) to all eligible children until such time their schools are closed due to aforesaid pandemic.

Further,  the  Anemia  Mukt  Bharat  strategy  under  National  Health  Mission  (NHM)  provides services for prevention and treatment of anaemia in children (5-9 years) and adolescent girls and boys  (10-19  years).  Under  this  scheme,  prophylactic  iron  and  folic  acid  (IFA)  supplementation, periodic  deworming,  testing  and  treatment  of  anemia  using  digital  methods  and  point  of  care treatment are done through school platform along with addressing non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, haemoglobinopathies and fluorosis.

During  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  due  to  challenges  in  service  delivery  of  IFA  supplementation  in school going children and adolescents, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued guidance notes  to  all  the  States/UTs  regarding  "Enabling  Delivery  of  Essential  Health  Services  during  the COVID 19 Outbreak" and "Provision of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health plus  Nutrition  services  during  and  post  COVID-19  pandemic"  for  continuation  of  service  delivery amid  COVID-19  pandemic.  As  per  these  guidance  notes,  the  States/UTs  have  been  advised  to ensure  home  distribution  of  IFA  to  the  target  age  groups  including  Children  5-9  years  and adolescents 10-19 years in the containment zones. In non-containment zones, it has been advised to  undertake  distribution  of  IFA  supplements  through  the  Village  Health  Sanitation  and  Nutrition Days in  the  staggered  manner  while  ensuring  all  the  personal  protective  measures  and  physical distancing norms by the frontline workers, i.e., ASHAs/ANMs/AWWs.

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