Lok Sabha Question No. 5579 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-26
Subject: Deaths Due to Malnutrition
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Chandra Prakash Joshi, Jaskaur Meena, Jaisiddeshwar Shivacharya Mahaswamiji

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5579 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2019

## DEATHS DUE TO MALNUTRITION

5579.    SHRI CHANDRA PRAKASH JOSHI: SHRIMATI JASKAUR MEENA: SHRI SHA. BRA.DR.JAI SIDDESHWAR SHIVACHARY MAHASWAMIJI:

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

- (a) Whether any survey has been conducted during the last five years to assess the prevalence of malnutrition in women and children across the country. State/UT-wise particularly tribal population of Rajasthan;
- (b) Whether the Government is maintaining any data regarding child mortality due to malnutrition;
- (c) the number of malnourished children across the country during the last three years, State/UT-wise particularly in Solapur district of Maharashtra;
- (d) the  number of  deaths  of  children  due  to  malnutrition  during  the  last  three  years,  State/UT-wise,  district-wise including, Rajasthan; and
- (e) whether the Government has any mechanism to monitor such deaths and if so, the details thereof ?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The data on nutritional indicators of women and children across the country is captured under the National Family Health  Survey  (NFHS)  conducted  by  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family  Welfare.  The  State-wise  prevalence  of malnutrition in women and children as per NFHS - 4 (2015-16) is Annexed .  Further,  as  far as  NFHS-4 52.1% children  under  5  years  age  are  underweight  and  49.3%  are  stunted  and  31.3%  are  wasted.  Further,  37.5% women (age 15-49 years) have chronic energy deficiency (BMI less than 18.5) among the tribal population of Rajasthan.
- (b) Malnutrition  is  not  a  direct  cause  of  death  among  children  under  five  years  of  age;  however,  it  can  increase morbidity and mortality by reducing resistance to infections. Malnourished children are more vulnerable to any infection than normal children, therefore, data regarding child mortality due to malnutrition is not maintained by this Ministry. The overall child mortality rate as per NFHS- 4 is 9.4 which is declined from 18.4 as per previous NFHS- 3.
- (c) As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)  - 4 (2015-16), conducted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 35.7% children under 5 years of age are underweight and 38.4% are stunted and 21% are wasted. The State-wise detail including Maharashtra is Annexed .  Further, as per NFHS-4, 34.6% children under 5 years of age are underweight and 25.4 % are stunted and 24.1% are wasted in Solapur District of Maharashtra.
- (d) & (e): As mentioned above, malnutrition is not a direct cause of death among children under five years of age; however, it can increase morbidity and mortality by reducing resistance to infections. Malnourished children are more vulnerable to any infection than normal children. However, for monitoring the level of malnutrition among the children  (0-6  years  of  age),  recently  POSHAN  Abhiyaan  has  been  launched  under  which  near  real  time monitoring is done through ICDS-CAS Mobile based Software Application. The ICDS-CAS Application enables the  identification  of  malnutrition  children  based  on  auto-plotting  of  Growth  Charts.  The  drill-down  dashboard available at  National,  State,  District,  Block  level  contributes  towards  identifying  and  addressing  the  problem  of nutrition.

*******

Statement referred in reply of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5579 for answer on 26.07.2019 raised by Shri  Chandra  Prakash  Joshi;  Shrimati  Jaskaur  Meena:  Shri  Sha.  Bra.Dr.Jai  Siddeshwar  Shivachary Mahaswamiji;

## Prevalence of underweight, stunting, wasting and Anaemia among women and children (under 5 years) as per NFHS- 2015-16

| S.No   |                      | State Children   | State Children   | State Children   | State Children   | Women (15-49 years)           | Women (15-49 years)   |
|--------|----------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|-------------------------------|-----------------------|
| S.No   |                      | Underweight (%)  | Stunting (%)     | Wasting          | Anaemia (%)      | Chronic Energy Deficiency (%) | Anaemia (%)           |
| 1      | A& N Islands         | 21.6             | 23.3             | 18.9             | 49               | 13.1                          | 65.7                  |
| 2      | Andhra Pradesh       | 31.9             | 31.4             | 17.2             | 58.6             | 17.6                          | 60                    |
| 3      | Arunachal Pradesh    | 19.5             | 29.4             | 17.3             | 50.7             | 8.5                           | 40.3                  |
| 4      | Assam                | 29.8             | 36.4             | 17               | 35.7             | 25.7                          | 46                    |
| 5      | Bihar                | 43.9             | 48.3             | 20.8             | 63.5             | 30.4                          | 60.3                  |
| 6      | Chandigarh           | 24.5             | 28.7             | 10.9             | 73.1             | 13.3                          | 75.9                  |
| 7      | Chhattisgarh         | 37.7             | 37.6             | 23.1             | 41.6             | 26.7                          | 47                    |
| 8      | Dadra & Nagar Haveli | 38.9             | 41.7             | 15.9             | 84.6             | 28.5                          | 79.5                  |
| 9      | Daman & Diu          | 26.7             | 23.4             | 27.6             | 73.8             | 12.9                          | 58.9                  |
| 10     | Delhi                | 27               | 32.3             | 24.1             | 62.6             | 12.8                          | 52.5                  |
| 11     | Goa                  | 23.8             | 20.1             | 21.9             | 48.3             | 14.7                          | 31.3                  |
| 12     | Gujarat              | 39.3             | 38.5             | 26.4             | 62.6             | 27.2                          | 54.9                  |
| 13     | Haryana              | 29.4             | 34               | 21.2             | 71.7             | 15.8                          | 62.7                  |
| 14     | Himachal Pradesh     | 21.2             | 26.3             | 13.7             | 53.7             | 16.2                          | 53.4                  |
| 15     | J&K                  | 16.6             | 27.4             | 12.1             | 43.3             | 12.1                          | 40.3                  |
| 16     | Jharkhand            | 47.8             | 45.3             | 29               | 69.9             | 31.5                          | 65.2                  |
| 17     | Karnataka            | 35.2             | 36.2             | 26.1             | 60.9             | 20.7                          | 44.8                  |
| 18     | Kerala               | 16.1             | 19.7             | 15.7             | 35.6             | 9.7                           | 34.2                  |
| 19     | Lakshdweep           | 23.4             | 27               | 13.7             | 51.9             | 12.5                          | 45.7                  |
| 20     | Madhya Pradesh       | 42.8             | 42               | 25.8             | 68.9             | 28.3                          | 52.5                  |
| 21     | Maharashtra          | 36               | 34.4             | 25.6             | 53.8             | 23.5                          | 48                    |
| 22     | Manipur              | 13.8             | 28.9             | 6.8              | 23.9             | 8.8                           | 26.4                  |
| 23     | Meghalaya            | 29               | 43.8             | 15.3             | 48               | 12.1                          | 56.2                  |
| 24     | Mizoram              | 11.9             | 28               | 6.1              | 17.7             | 8.3                           | 22.5                  |
| 25     | Nagaland             | 16.8             | 28.6             | 11.3             | 21.6             | 12.2                          | 23.9                  |
| 26     | Orissa               | 34.4             | 34.1             | 20.4             | 44.6             | 26.4                          | 51                    |
| 27     | Puducherry           | 22               | 23.7             | 15.6             | 44.9             | 11.3                          | 52.4                  |
| 28     | Punjab               | 21.6             | 25.7             | 23.6             | 56.6             | 11.7                          | 53.5                  |
| 29     | Rajasthan            | 36.7             | 39.1             | 23               | 60.3             | 27                            | 46.8                  |
| 30     | Sikkim               | 14.2             | 29.6             | 14.2             | 55.1             | 6.4                           | 34.9                  |
| 31     | Tamil Nadu           | 23.8             | 27.1             | 19.7             | 50.7             | 14.6                          | 55.1                  |
| 32     | Telangana            | 28.5             | 28.1             | 18               | 60.7             | 23.1                          | 56.7                  |
| 33     | Tripura              | 24.1             | 24.3             | 16.8             | 48.3             | 18.9                          | 54.5                  |
| 34     | Uttar Pradesh        | 39.5             | 46.3             | 17.9             | 63.2             | 25.3                          | 52.4                  |
| 35     | Uttarakhand          | 26.6             |                  |                  | 59.8             |                               | 62.5                  |
| 36     | West Bengal          | 31.5             | 33.5 32.5        | 19.5             | 54.2             | 18.4 21.3                     | 45.2                  |
|        | India                | 35.7             | 38.4             | 20.3 21          | 58.4             | 22.9                          | 53                    |