Lok Sabha Question No. 2898 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-28
Subject: Malnutrition among Women and Children
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Rajendra Dhedya Gavit, SAVITRI THAKUR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2898

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.12.2018

## MALNUTRITION AMONG WOMEN AND CHILDREN

## 2898.    SHRI RAJENDRA D. GAVIT: SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR:

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

- (a) the  steps  being  taken  by  the Government  to  tackle  the  problem  of malnutrition in children and women;
- (b) whether there  has  been  an improvement in the comparative situation in providing proper nourishment to women and children across the country specially in M.P. and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  States  are  responsible  to  monitor  the  functioning  of  the  organisations  involved  in  the  fight against malnutrition; and
- (d) if so, the details of the organisations functioning thereunder?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (DR. VIRENDRA KUMAR)

- (a): The  Government  has  accorded  high  priority  to  the  issue  of  malnutrition  and  is  implementing  several schemes/programmes of different Ministries/Departments through States/UTs to address various aspects related  to  nutrition.  This  Ministry  is  implementing  several  schemes  and  programs  like  Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme as direct targeted interventions to address the problem of  malnutrition in  the country. Government has also set up POSHAN Abhiyaan ,  which aims to prevent and reduce prevalence of stunting, underweight and anaemia among children (0-6 years), prevalence of anaemia among women (15-49 years) and reduction in prevalence of low birth weight in the country in a time bound manner.
- (b): As per the recent report of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) - 4 conducted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2015-16, 35.7% children under 5 years of age are underweight and 38.4% are stunted,  indicating  a  reduction  from  the  previous  levels  as  per  NFHS  -  3  (2005-06),  which  reported 42.5% children under 5 years of age as underweight and 48% stunted. Further, 22.9% women (15-49 years of age) have chronic energy deficiency (BMI less than 18.5) which is a decline from the previous NFHS-3 levels which reported 35.5% women having chronic energy deficiency. In the State of Madhya Pradesh  42.8%  children  under  5  years  of  age  are  underweight  and  42%  stunted  as  per  NFHS-4, indicating a reduction from the previous NFHS-3 which reports 60% of children under 5 years of age as underweight  and  50%  as  stunted.  Further,  28.3%  women  (15-49  years  of  age)  have  chronic  energy deficiency (BMI less than 18.5) as per NFHS-4, which is a decline from the previous NFHS-3 levels which reported 41.7% women having chronic energy deficiency in the State of Madhya Pradesh.
- (c) & (d): Anganwadi Services is a centrally sponsored scheme and the overall management, monitoring and implementation of the scheme is being done by the concerned State Government. In order to improve the performance  of  ICDS,  the  Government  has  introduced  5-tier  monitoring  and  review  mechanism  at different levels (National/State/District/ Block/Anganwadi) by involving public representatives for monitoring the status of Anganwadi  Centres. Performance  of the schemes  is reviewed on a quarterly/annual basis to identify gaps and for taking corrective measures.

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