Lok Sabha Question No. 92 (STARRED), answered on 2022-07-22
Subject: Malnutrition
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: T.N. Prathapan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 92

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.07.2022

## MALNUTRITION

- *92. SHRI T.N. PRATHAPAN:

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

- (a) whether the Government has data regarding malnutrition in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof indicating the number of women and children affected by it and the malnutrition rate in the country since 2014, year-wise;
- (c) the  number  of  death  of  women  and  children  due  to  health  issues  related  to malnutrition since 2014; and
- (d) the  details  of  schemes  being  implemented  by  the  Government  to  deal  with issues of malnutrition along with the funds allocated for the purpose?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

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## Statement referred to in reply to part (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 92  due  for  answer  on  22.07.2022,  raised  by  Shri  T.  N.  Prathapan  regarding Malnutrition.

- (a)  to  (b)  The  data  on  prevalence  of  malnutrition  among  children  and  women  in  the country  is  obtained  under  National  Family  Health  Survey  (NFHS)  conducted  by  the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. As per the recent report of NFHS-5 (2019-21), the prevalence of malnutrition among children under 5 years and women aged 15-49 years has reduced as compared with NFHS-4 (2015-16). Stunting (in children under 5 years of age) has reduced from 38.4% as per NFHS-4 to 35.5% in NFHS-5, while wasting (in children  under  5  years  of  age)  has  reduced  from  21.0%  to  19.3%  and  underweight prevalence (in children under 5 years of age) has reduced from 35.8% to 32.1%. Further, the prevalence of under nutrition among women aged 15-49 years has reduced from 22.9% in NFHS-4 to 18.7% in NFHS-5.
- (c) Malnutrition is not a direct cause of death; however, it can increase morbidity and mortality by reducing resistance to infections. Thus dis-aggregated data regarding the number of women and child deaths directly due to malnutrition is not available
- (d)  The  Government  has  accorded  high  priority  to  the  issue  of  malnutrition  and  is making serious efforts to address this issue. POSHAN Abhiyaan, a flaghip scheme of the  Government  was  launched  in  2018  to  address  the  malaise  of  malnutrition  by adopting a synergised and result oriented approach. Further, to address various policy and  systemic  needs,  the  Integrated  Child   Development  Scheme  and  Anganwadi Services schemes were re-evaluated  in respect of programme design, implementation process, outcome and impact and for re-assessing the relevance of the programme in achieving its aims and goals. The efforts under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme under Anganwadi Services, Scheme for Adolescent Girls and POSHAN Abhiyaan have been re-aligned  as 'Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0'for maximizing nutritional outcomes..  It  seeks  to  address  the  challenges  of  malnutrition  in  children,  adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers through a strategic shift in nutrition content and  delivery  and  by  creation  of  a  convergent  eco-system  to  develop  and  promote practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity.

During the year 2021-22, a budget of Rs. 19963.90 crore was allocated under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0'

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