The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Bank recently released their Joint Malnutrition Estimates, providing crucial insights into the state of child malnutrition worldwide. This essay examines the findings of the report, focusing on the Indian scenario, global trends, and the alignment with the National Family Health Survey (NFHS).
Indian Scenario:
Reduction in Stunting:
India has made significant progress in reducing stunting among children under the age of five. Over the past decade, the prevalence rate of stunting dropped from 41.6% in 2012 to 31.7% in 2022. This decrease translates to 1.6 crore fewer stunted children in 2022 compared to 2012. Furthermore, India’s global burden of stunting declined from 30% to 25% during the same period.
Wasting and Obesity Increased:
Despite the positive trend in stunting reduction, wasting remains a concern in India. In 2022, the overall prevalence of wasting was 18.7%, accounting for 49% of the global burden. On the other hand, the prevalence of obesity slightly increased from 2.2% in 2012 to 2.8% in 2022. While this increase is still relatively low, it contributes to 8.8% of the global obesity burden.
Global Scenario:
Stunting Declined:
Globally, there has been progress in reducing stunting among children under five. The prevalence rate decreased from 26.3% in 2012 to 22.3% in 2022. This improvement indicates a positive trend in addressing child malnutrition on a global scale.
Obesity:
Unfortunately, there has been no significant improvement in tackling the issue of obesity worldwide. The prevalence rate of obesity grew from 5.5% in 2012 to 5.6% in 2022. These numbers highlight the need for more effective strategies to combat the rising trend of childhood obesity.
Challenges and Targets:
The Joint Malnutrition Estimates reveal that insufficient progress has been made in achieving the global nutrition targets set for the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2025 and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 targets for 2030. Only about one-third of all countries are currently on track to halve the number of children affected by stunting by 2030. Moreover, fewer countries are expected to achieve the target of 3% prevalence for overweight by 2030.
Alignment with National Family Health Survey (NFHS):
The decline in stunting in India aligns with the findings of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019-2021), which estimated a prevalence rate of 35.5% compared to 38% in NFHS-4 (2016) and 48% in NFHS-3 (2006). NFHS-5 data also indicates continued reduction in stunting and instances of underweight children. Additionally, it highlights improved access to essential health services such as family planning, ante-natal care, deworming, and breastfeeding counseling.
Maternal Malnutrition and Wasting:
NFHS-5 data further reveals that two-thirds of children at 12 or 24 months in India experienced wasting at birth or within the first month. This suggests that maternal malnutrition contributes significantly to wasting among children, emphasizing the need to address maternal health and nutrition to combat child malnutrition effectively.
Important Points:
- Indian Scenario:
- 📉 Reduction in stunting: Stunting decreased from 41.6% (2012) to 31.7% (2022).
- 📊 Wasting concern: Wasting prevalence was 18.7% in 2022, contributing to 49% of the global burden.
- 🍔🍟 Obesity on the rise: Obesity increased from 2.2% (2012) to 2.8% (2022), contributing to 8.8% of the global share.
- Global Scenario:
- 📉 Decline in stunting: Global stunting prevalence dropped from 26.3% (2012) to 22.3% (2022).
- 🍔 Obesity remains: Obesity prevalence grew from 5.5% (2012) to 5.6% (2022).
- Challenges and Targets:
- 🎯 Insufficient progress: Targets set for 2025 and 2030 are not being met.
- ✅ Few countries on track: Only one-third of countries are on track to halve stunting by 2030.
- ❌ Fewer countries expected to achieve overweight target: 3% prevalence target for overweight unlikely to be met.
- Alignment with NFHS:
- 📉 Consistent decline in stunting: NFHS-5 data aligns with reduction trends (35.5% prevalence).
- 👶 Improved access to health services: NFHS-5 shows better access to family planning, ante-natal care, deworming, and breastfeeding counseling.
- 👩👦 Maternal malnutrition impact: Two-thirds of wasting cases attributed to maternal malnutrition.
Why In News
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), and World Bank have recently collaborated to publish their comprehensive Joint Malnutrition Estimates, shedding light on the global scale of this urgent health issue. These estimates serve as a critical resource for policymakers and organizations worldwide, facilitating targeted interventions and fostering coordinated efforts to combat malnutrition.
MCQs about Combatting Child Malnutrition
-
What contributes the most to the global burden of wasting in India?
A. Obesity
B. Stunting
C. Maternal malnutrition
D. Lack of access to health services
-
How has the prevalence of obesity changed globally from 2012 to 2022?
A. Decreased
B. Remained the same
C. Increased slightly
D. Increased significantly
-
What do the Joint Malnutrition Estimates reveal about progress towards global nutrition targets?
A. Substantial progress achieved
B. Insufficient progress
C. Targets already exceeded
D. No data available
Boost up your confidence by appearing our Weekly Current Affairs Multiple Choice Questions
