Based on the Analysis taken from ‘The Hindu’, India lost 0.7 million Children under five in 2021.  Poor nutrition in children and moms played a major role in over 0.5 million of these deaths. Health and nutrition problems aren’t just small issues; they affect millions and put the country at risk.

Getting to Grips with Poor Nutrition and Its Deadly Effects:

Malnutrition doesn’t kill, but it makes people more likely to get sick and die young. Children who don’t eat well enough have a higher chance of health problems, which can lead to loss of life.

The data from ‘The Hindu’ has shown that low birth weight is one of the contributing factors, which is usually a result of malnutrition. The mothers who are not well-nourished can also cause malnutrition in the infants.

Yet, another essential point is wasting and stunting. Wasting refers to children whose height is too short in the case of severe situations, whereas stunting tells that children are too low in weight for their age due to insufficient nutrients, these sicknesses make children more easily caused by diseases like malnutrition.

Despite tough challenges, malnutrition deaths have indeed decreased, according to the stats from ‘The Hindu’. In 1990, there are 6.6 million children died due to malnutrition but it has been reduced to only 2.4 million in 2021.  These characteristics of providing health services with nutrition, clean water, sanitation, vaccination, and treating diarrhea and malaria have been instrumental in bringing down the death rate of children.

How can we get better at stopping the looming malnutrition crisis?

SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre cares a lot about malnutrition when it comes to the health of mothers and children. Here, at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre initiated a scheme named The Tmt. Valliammai Women and Child Welfare Scheme – “Thaai Veetu Seedanam”, where the hospital offers 20,000 rupees to the maternal mothers to handle the pre and post-delivery care. Along with this monetary aid, the SRMMCHRC also creates awareness about the nutrition and diet that needs to be taken care of, for the infant.

The institution teaches students to encourage people on the effective measures that need to be taken during pregnancy and make people understand the importance of the right nutrition that needs to be served to children. The Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics at SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre has a huge impact on teaching families about ‘eat right and stay healthy’. Students are conducting many workshops, reaching to nearby communities, and many clinical interventions to lower malnutrition in nearby communities.

This way of doing things shows how important it is to grow future generations in a safe environment without malnutrition.

Here are some ways to step up the fight against malnutrition:

Nutrition: Mothers and caregivers should know how important nutrition plays a pivotal role during pregnancy and infant growth. Children are advised to take a lot of vitamins, minerals, and etc. to reduce malnutrition.

Accessibility to healthcare, People can now get better healthcare around the states. This helps people to spot and rectify the problems before they turn into troubles. 

Immunization: Parents need to keep their children vaccinated against common illnesses like TB and pneumonia, this can lower the chances of problems linked to malnutrition.

Clean Water Access: Hygiene and proper sanitation practices are very important in the transmission of infectious diseases, which can aggravate the impacts of malnutrition.

Community Support Networks: Involving community leaders and locals in advocating for improved nutrition and health ensures broader outreach, in underserved regions.

There is a decrease in the Child mortality rate caused by malnutrition is a positive sign but we still need to take extra measures. At SRM Medical College Hospital and Centre, the commitment to combating malnutrition is steadfast, focusing on education, early intervention, and comprehensive healthcare provision. In time, as we put in efforts and draw up thorough plans together, malnutrition rates will decrease and together we can create a healthier society.

Source: The Hindu Data (Hannah Ritchie), World Health Organization (WHO)