Lok Sabha Question No. 5254 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-04
Subject: Malnutrition among Children
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Lallu Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-† 5254

TO BE ANSWERED ON- 04/04/2022

## MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN

†5254. SHRI LALLU SINGH :

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :

- a) the details of the work carried out in the tribal areas to reduce the malnutrition especially among the children since the year 2018 to till date;
- b) whether the target to improve the nutritional level of the people living in tribal areas was fixed up to the year 2022 along with the progress made so far in this regard;
- c) the number of deaths reported due to malnutrition in tribal areas and the extent to which the malnutrition level has been improved; and
- d) the target set in the annual budget to reduce the under-nutrition, anaemia, low weight at the time of birth and stunted growth in children along with the rate of improvement?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SMT. RENUKA SINGH SARUTA)

(a  to  d): Malnutrition  amongst  children  is  a  major  challenge  in  the  area  of  Tribal  regions  of the country.        Government accords high priority to the issue of malnutrition, particularly in respect of children.  The Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Woman and Child Department and Ministry of Tribal  affairs  have  undertaken  various  initiatives  to  provide  adequate  nutrition  among  the  pregnant women, mothers and children across country including  tribal areas.

- (A).   Under  National  Health  Mission  (NHM), the  Reproductive,  Maternal,  Newborn,  Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) is implemented across the life cycle to improve health of women and children including tribal children. The details of various health nutrition interventions under NHM are as follows:
1.  Early  initiation,  Exclusive  breastfeeding  for  first  six  months  and  Complementary  Feeding  are important for the prevention of malnutrition in under five children. Mothers' Absolute Affection (MAA) programme  is  being  implemented  to  promote  age  appropriate  IYCF  (Infant  young  child  feeding) practices  while  capacitating  health  care  providers  at  the  facility  and  community  level  as  well  as awareness generation of the mothers and care providers through mother's meeting
2. Home Based Care for Young Children (HBYC) has been initiated as an extension of Home Based Newborn  Care  (HBNC)  to  provide  community  based  care  by  ASHA  workers  with  focus  on improvement in child rearing practices, nutrition counselling and breastfeeding promotion.
3.  Sick  children  with  Severe  Acute  Malnutrition  (SAM) are being  treated  and  managed  for  medical complications at special units called as Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs), set up at public health facilities.
4. Biannual Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) rounds are being conducted for children from 9 months to 5 yr. of age group
5. National De-worming Day is being implemented as a fixed day strategy to administer Albendazole tablets to all the children in the age group of 1 - 19 years through the platform of AWCs and schools for good nutritional outcomes.
6.  Prevention  of  childhood  illness  such  as  diarrheal  diseases  which  in  turn  prevents  childhood undernutrition'  Control  of  childhood  diarrhoea  is  being  carried  out  by  conducting  annual  Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) and Defeat Diarrhoea Initiative
7. Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB)' for supplementation and treatment of anemia in children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, and women of reproductive age group in programme mode through life cycle approach

8.Under "Rastriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram' (RBSK) ,children of 0 - 18 years of age are screened for selected  health  conditions  classified  into  4Ds  -  Diseases,  Deficiencies,  Defects  and  Developmental delays  including  screening  for  Severe  Acute  Malnutrition  and  provides  free  referral  and  treatment facilities for identified children.

9.  The Government is also promoting the use of fortified wheat flour, fortified rice, fortified oil and double fortified salt in public funded supplementary nutrition prograrnmes. All these prograrns address one or other aspects related to malnutrition'

As per the national guidelines, there is provision for procurement of IFA supplements as well as for conducting various other activities including capacity building, awareness generation etc. for reduction of anaemia in children. Health being a State subject, the States and UTs propose for annual budget to implement the various health activities including activities for reduction of anemia in children.

## (B). Ministry of Women and Child Development:

POSHAN Abhiyaan   also  called  National  Nutrition  Mission,  was  launched  by  the  government  on  the occasion of the International Women's Day on 8 th March, 2018.  The Abhiyaan targets to reduce Stunting, undernutrition,  Anemia  and  also  targets  to  bring  down  stunting  among  children  in  the  age  group  0-6 years.   Poshan 2.0  is an umbrella scheme covering the Integrated Child Development  Services (ICDS) (Anganwadi Services, Poshan Abhiyan, Scheme For Adolescent Girls, National Creche Scheme). It was announced in Union Budget 2021-22 to strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach and outcome, with  renewed  focus  on  developing  practices  that  nurture  health,  wellness  and  immunity  to  disease  and malnutrition in the country.

Poshan Maah:  Month of September is celebrated as POSHAN Maah since 2018 to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.  It includes a month-long activities focussed on antenatal care, optimal breastfeeding, Anaemia, growth monitoring, girls education, diet, right age of marriage, hygiene and sanitation and eating healthy (Food Fortification).

Poshan  Vatika:    It's  main  objective  is  to  ensure  supply  of  nutrition  through  organically  home  grown vegetables and fruits simultaneously ensuring that the soil must also remain healthy.  Plantation drives for

Poshan Vatikas would be taken up by all the stakeholders in the space available at anganwadis, school premises and gram panchayats.

C). Ministry of Tribal Affairs provides untied funds to state governments  under scheme of SCA to TSS, Grants under Article 275(1) of Constitution and Grants to PVTGs. The details of various projects and fund sanctioned during the last 4 years are given as under:

| Sl. No   | Scheme         | Fy-2017-18     | Fy-2017-18                       | Fy-2018-19     | Fy-2018-19                       | Fy-2019-20     | Fy-2019-20                       | Fy-2020-21     | Fy-2020-21                       |
|----------|----------------|----------------|----------------------------------|----------------|----------------------------------|----------------|----------------------------------|----------------|----------------------------------|
| Sl. No   | Scheme         | No of Projects | Amount Sanctioned (Rs. in Lakhs) | No of Projects | Amount Sanctioned (Rs. in Lakhs) | No of Projects | Amount Sanctioned (Rs. in Lakhs) | No of Projects | Amount Sanctioned (Rs. in Lakhs) |
| 1        | Article 275(1) | 4              | 926.26                           | 5              | 1154.12                          | 17             | 3410.70                          | 11             | 3297.31                          |
| 2        | SCA to TSS     | 9              | 1132.00                          | 2              | 301.50                           | 2              | 200.00                           | 2              | 384.00                           |
| 3        | PVTG           | 0              | 0                                | 1              | 2038.00                          | 4              | 849.72                           | NA             | NA                               |
| Total    | Total          | 13             | 2058.26                          | 8              | 3493.62                          | 23             | 4460.42                          | 13             | 3681.31                          |

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