Ashley Noronha
A recent study by health organizations like the Global Hunger Index has been documented for 2024 which was published, wherein India figures at 105 position in a table of 127 countries of the world. India fairs poorly by certain standards in children health. These statistics are disturbing to say the least and shouldn't be ignored. This data underscores the meteoric rise of the nation in terms of GDP growth, fifth highest, at 4.5 trillion dollars and the world's fastest growing economy at 7% and growing exponentially.
Malnutrition which accounts for 28.4% worldwide deaths in children under 5. Nearly two thirds of children under five are deaths in India and due to malnutrition. Despite famine being phased out by 20% in India, deaths of children under five have been eradicated by the advent of the nation's Green Revolution, which was successful , resulted in the worst effects of famine being minimised to a larger extent.
On the contrary, we should have progressed and improved on the GHI (Global Hunger index) . But sad to see that we still lag behind in children mortality, which is predominantly high among a select band of nations. The report compiled was based on four indicators 1) child malnutrition 2) child stunting 3) child wasting 4) child mortality.
The child wasting indicator says that 3 out of 5 are unable to lead a healthy normal life, due to malnutrition, child stunted growth stood at 28.5% due to improper nutrition and low calories intake. Stunting is directly proportional to low growth and inadequate optimum height and weight with their respect to their individual ages. Diet consisting mainly of carbohydrates and starch, can hardly provide the basic nutrients for a child's all round development, that leads to the stunting, wasting and high mortality in children under five.
More of proteins like eggs, milk and dairy products, fats plus fruits like oranges should be introduced in government aided schools during mid-day meals, hardly increasing budgeting norms. Hidden hunger by malnutrition subtly accounts by fewer calories of food intake due to impoverishment, maternity health, improper sanitation and other factors.
It's not surprising to see brain health or IQ levels drop below average optimal levels unable to compete and produce desired results to accelerate higher GDP per capita. In the developed world where sheer prosperity flourishes and hunger and poverty are overcome, survival of the fittest amounts to propelling India to higher all round standards on the world stage.
Future generations of stunted, wasted undernourished children would find it difficult to compete on all levels on the world stage. With a 13.5% growth of physically stunted children running into generations, this inhibits growth and other child factors, who are incapable to compete and face challenges on the world stage, if this trend continues, it will be a set back for progress and future of the nation.
This requires correction at the grassroots level where our children need to be adequately nourished with the right nutrition, by introducing value added nutritious food to their regular diet. Non vegetarians may have a slight edge over vegetarians, as they eat natural carnivorous proteins , like eggs, milk, meats, grains which are a rich source of proteins should be substantially substituted in a vegetarian diet, varying on ones dietary habits. We cannot ignore the basic necessities of nutrition to these hungry people who would get sometimes one meal or no meal at all in a day. There is real necessity of grooming and nourishing academically hidden raw talents by feeding them with nutritious and quality food to expand their intellectual value of inherent gifts, which will extending help in nation building .Food ,and overall inflation at 6.9% has risen considerably, hitting the poor the hardest.
Total exports of food grains and other items should be cut and restricted to make way by utilising surplus food stuff in feeding the poor, hungry and malnourished people of the nation. Due to high inflation, most of their staple foods are being put out of their dinning tables, and due to skyrocketing prices of food grains, cereals, millets, which deprive them of crucial nutrition which helps in enhancing growth and cognitive repair.
We should not ignore the hunger Indexes of millions of our countrymen who don't get sufficient basic food for survival. Instead governments stress more in conquering and giving more importance to success achieved by basking in space missions of the moon, sun and planets in the outer space,which has no relevance to real problems like starvation endured by millions in our country.
Top priority by governments is not to dwell in the glory of space missions, which is partly required but not entirely essential with respect to other pressing needs of its poor people. Instead it will be rewarding if we have to uplift the health of the poor and undernourished children which should be tackled by feeding them with nutritious midday meals in schools consisting of eggs, milk, fruits etc in order to correct their stunted, wasted, undernourished and mortality indicators of their lives, and improving the global hunger index.