MALNUTRITION LEADING RISK FACTOR FOR DEATH IN UNDER-5 CHILDREN: ICMR

NEW DELHI: Despite the substantial drop in disease burden and death rate, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Assam have the highest malnutrition levels in the country.

According to the findings of the latest report published by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), malnutrition was the predominant risk factor for death in children younger than five in every state of India in 2017.

The deaths of kids due to malnutrition account for 68.2 per cent of the total under-5 deaths translating into 7,06,000 deaths due to malnutrition. As per the report, the malnutrition was also the leading risk factor of loss of health among all age groups.

As per the report, the prevalence of low birth weight in India in 2017 was 21.4 per cent, child stunting 39.3 per cent, child wasting 15.7 per cent, child underweight 32.7 per cent, anaemia in children 59.7 per cent, anaemia in women 15–49 years of age 54.4 per cent, exclusive breastfeeding 53.3 per cent and overweight child 11.5 per cent.

However, all causes under-5 death rate in India have decreased from 2,336 per 1,00,000 in 1990 to 801 per 1,00,000 in 2017, while the proportion of under-5 deaths attributable to malnutrition changed only modestly from 70.4 per cent to 68.2 per cent in 2017.

“Efforts are needed in each state to control malnutrition. State governments are being encouraged to intensify efforts to reduce malnutrition and undertake robust monitoring to track the progress," said Vinod K Paul, Member NITI Aayog.

On the occasion ICMR DG Balram Bhargava said, “The National Institute of Nutrition, an ICMR institute, and other partners are setting in place mechanisms to ensure that there are more data available on malnutrition in the various states of India which will help monitor progress.”

As per the study, the disease burden rate, attributable to malnutrition in children, varies seven-fold between the states. States like Rajasthan, UP, Bihar and Assam tops the list while Kerala and Tamil Nadu have the lowest disease burden.

The incidences of anaemia among children, on other hands, were 60 per cent in India in 2017, ranging from 21 per cent in Mizoram to 74 per cent in Haryana.

The annual rate of reduction was 1.8 per cent in India between 1990 and 2017, which varied from 8.3 per cent in Mizoram to no significant reduction in Goa.