2. INTRODUCTION
• What is Malnutrition??
A medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet .
A category of diseases that includes under
nutrition, obesity and overweight, and micronutrient deficiency among
others.
Also it is frequently used to mean under-nutrition from either
inadequate calories or inadequate specific dietary components for whatever
reason.
3.
4. Most of the seven billion people in this world suffer from malnutrition.
Half do not have enough to eat and the rest of us eat too much.”
A malnourished person finds that their body has difficulty doing normal
things such as growing and resisting disease. Physical work becomes
problematic and even learning abilities can be diminished. For women,
pregnancy becomes risky and they cannot be sure of producing nourishing
breast milk.
When a person is not getting enough food or not getting the right sort of
food, malnutrition is just around the corner. Disease is often a factor, either as a result
or contributing cause. Even if people get enough to eat, they will become malnourished
if the food they eat does not provide the proper amounts of micronutrients - vitamins
and minerals - to meet daily nutritional requirements.
5. Ineffective and corrupt PDS system:
Due to lack of punctuality and initiative,
food stored in buffer stock gets rotten
In order for the food facilities to improve,
the PDS system should be free from
corruption and made effective through stricter laws and inspections
2. Green revolution
Despite having advanced techniques
in agriculture, many farmers
still use archaic methods
of agriculture.
Government aid to the farmers
for acquiring means to do
scientific agriculture thereby increasing productivity.
CAUSES
6. 3. Mid- Day Meals improper implementation:
Surprise inspection and
initiatives to ensure proper
implementation. Hygiene
should also be improved.
Careless and disconcerted
officials given the job of
this policy implementation
resulting into mishaps (for
instance Bihar mid-day
meal fiasco)
4. Increase Welfare Funding:
Money has been
segregated on welfare
oriented purposes such
as infrastructural
development.
A small portion from
taxes and funds should
be utilized to heed this
problem of malnutrition.
7. 5. Awareness
People are not fully aware of the problem and still continue to be unaware
and ignorant. People in the rural areas are not reached out.
Awareness should be created by arranging welfare programmes,
workshops, etc. Communication media like T.V., newspapers, etc. along with
aid and initiatives from N.G.O.s and organizations can play a major role.
6.Uniform Industrial development
Industrial Sector is developing rapidly resulting in harm to the environment
and losses to agricultural sector in the form of unemployment.
Laws and norms governing industrial setup and development should be made
such that forest cover is not cleared or agricultural sector does not suffer.
8. 7. Self sufficiency and poverty reduction
Persons “Below Poverty Line” are not equipped with means to earn for their
living resulting in malnutrition.
Govt. aid and employment opportunities should be provided to such people so that
they become self-sufficient and help themselves.
8. Rural Development and Urban Reconstruction
Rural areas are not developed to the extent to which they can contribute towards
increasing food production. The excess resources in urban areas get exhausted and
used up due to population migration.
Scientific farming methods should be promoted in rural areas and eco-friendly
approach should be adopted in urban areas so that an equilibrium can be established
and food production could be increased.
9. 9. Emergency protocols for malnourished
There is a need for treatment facilities in cases of emergency
to heed those in dire need of care and treatment.
Emergency protocol cells along with initiatives from govt.
agencies, N.G.O.s can help in achieving these objectives easily.
10. The problem of malnutrition has been rampant in the country. An analogy and a parallel
frame can be made with the countries of Africa like Sudan or Somalia.
Despite international organisation like UNICEF and WHO , the policies have failed to reach
all countries.
In order to avoid such situation of rampant malnourishment and malnourishment to occur
in India, proper policy implementation and stricter rules governing the welfare for the
people needs to be implemented. People should be made self-reliant and independent.
If these aforesaid solutions are implemented, the situation of mal-nourishment will be
eradicated and India will rise in standards of both living and growth.
11. 1. UNICIF survey report of 2012
2. HUNGaMA survey report 2013
3. Malnutrition matters-meeting quality standards in nutritional care
4. Urban Poverty and Urbanization – 2001, Reena Bhasin
5. Handbook of Families and Poverty – 2008, D. Russel Crane
