Have you seen heartbreaking images of children suffering from starvation? Their sunken eyes and under-nourished bodies afflicted by life-threatening diseases show their dismal living conditions. Severe malnutrition threatens to cut short their lives before they reach five years of age.
According to the World Health Organization, over three million children worldwide die from malnutrition every year. An approximate 45 million children are underweight. Further, 149 million children are stunted or short for their age. These disturbing statistics reveal the health crisis faced by children in developing countries.
So, let us understand what malnutrition is and how it affects a child’s health.
What is Malnutrition?
Malnutrition is an absence of a nutritious diet that results in poor health. It is a condition that leads to life-threatening diseases and is common among children in developing countries.
Malnutrition occurs from overconsumption of an unhealthy diet, too. It leads to excess weight or obesity among children. The second type of malnutrition causes different life-threatening diseases, and it occurs in developed countries.
Types of Malnutrition
There are two types of malnutrition.
1. Undernutrition
Undernutrition occurs due to an inadequacy of food necessary for proper growth and development. It arises in children in low-income countries who do not have access to nutritious food or medical care.
Moreover, there are two kinds of undernutrition.
● Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM)
PEM occurs due to a lack of enough food or when children cannot eat because of poor health. Born underweight due to poor maternal health, children suffering from PEM have low body weight, thin arms and legs, a bloated stomach, flaky skin, and thin hair. They are prone to life-threatening diseases such as kwashiorkor, marasmus, and anaemia due to a diet lacking proteins and iron. It is acute malnutrition caused by a lack of energy, and it results in “stunting” or low height-for-weight ratio and “wasting” or low weight-for-height ratio.
● Micronutrient Malnutrition
Micronutrient malnutrition occurs when the child’s diet lacks nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Micronutrients are essential for the proper growth and development of our bodies. However, when the diet is deficient in these nutrients, especially iron, iodine, and vitamin A, it leads to malnutrition. It is common in women, infants, and children belonging to low-income groups.
2. Overnutrition
Overnutrition occurs due to excess consumption of nutrients, which harms the health of children. It is of two types.
● Energy Overnutrition
Overconsumption of energy through food leads to excess calories being stored as fats in the body. If the energy isn't utilised through physical activity, it leads to severe weight gain or obesity. Energy overnutrition is common in developed countries due to easy availability and the overconsumption of high-sugar and high-fat foods. It results in an excess weight-for-height ratio among children. Further, it leads to life-threatening diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and certain cancers.
● Micronutrient Overnutrition
Consuming extra nutrients leads to micronutrient overnutrition. It occurs from consuming excess nutrients through food and vitamin and mineral supplements. High levels of nutrients, such as iron, calcium, or vitamin A or B 12, are toxic to the body and affect our overall health.
Causes of Malnutrition
There are several possible causes of malnutrition.
- Poverty
Poverty is the primary cause of malnutrition. Unhygienic living conditions and the inability to buy nutritious food and medicines lead to malnutrition in women and children. The shortage of healthy food affects women’s overall health, impacting their developing babies during pregnancy. Children born to malnourished mothers are at a higher risk of malnutrition.
● Poor Maternal Health
Undernourished women suffer from complications during delivery. Their children suffer from low birth weight. Breastfeeding doesn’t benefit them, as the mothers can’t pass on the necessary nourishment. An inadequate diet during the child’s first 1000 days results in malnourishment and increased susceptibility to infections.
● War and Conflict
Almost 400 million children living in war-torn regions suffer from malnutrition. The constant threat to their lives and the severe scarcity of food, water, and medical care lead to stunted growth. Children living in refugee camps face an acute shortage of healthy food, shelter, medical care, and education, putting them at high risk of malnourishment.
● Natural Disasters
Natural disasters such as drought and the present pandemic leave millions at risk of acute malnutrition. With countless people losing employment as daily wage earners due to COVID-19, the situation for children from the low-income groups has worsened. The lockdowns resulted in food production and distribution disruption, forcing many to depend upon unhealthy alternatives that provide little or no nutrition. The struggle for obtaining food and medical aid intensified during the pandemic and led to six to seven million malnourished children.
Fighting Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the most significant health problem faced in developing countries. With millions of pregnant women and children suffering from nutritional deficiencies due to the unavailability of healthy food and medical support, it is paramount that every country comes up with solutions to fight malnutrition and protect the children’s fundamental right to health. Governments have drawn up guidelines to restart the operations conducted for the welfare of women and children through the following measures:
- Ensuring access to healthy, affordable food for children and maternal healthcare during pregnancy
- Providing nutritious meals through schools for vulnerable children, especially during lockdowns
- Introducing schemes that offer food and essential services to low-income groups
- Starting medical camps for early detection and treatment of malnutrition in women and children
Agricultural solutions to tackle PEM:
An increase in pulse-based farming in developing countries is required in the fight against protein-energy malnutrition. Identifying strategies for growing more protein-rich crops, soil improvement, irrigation techniques, water-retention techniques, and drought management will ensure the availability of protein-rich foods for the vulnerable population.
In India, too, replacing rice farming with nutrient-rich finger millets, pearl millets, sorghum, and Maize has been suggested to improve protein availability.
Food schemes to fight malnutrition in India
India has launched several nutrition-based schemes to address the issue of malnutrition. These include supplementary nutrition and medical help for pregnant and lactating women, meal programs for infants and school-going children, and sanitation programmes for disadvantaged communities to improve their health and quality of life.
Let us take a look at some of these schemes.
Mid-Day Meal Program:
The innovative Mid-day Meal Program was launched in 1995. According to this scheme, children in primary and upper primary classes of government and government-aided schools receive free lunch. The meal comprises adequate proteins, carbohydrates, and micronutrients like iron and folic acid for children’s proper physical and cognitive development and growth. Staple food, such as rice/wheat, vegetables, lentils, fruits, nuts, and eggs, are included in the meals. Therefore, this scheme encouraged more children to attend school and is an essential step towards eradicating malnutrition from the country.
Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS):
This scheme offers supplementary nutrition to mother and child, health education and diet counselling for mothers, growth monitoring and supplementary nutrition for children, and medical care for malnourished children.
Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojna:
Launched in 2010 and implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, this scheme provides maternity benefits to pregnant and lactating women of 19 years and above.
Total Sanitation Campaign:
This scheme provides household-level sanitation facilities and access to sanitation facilities for children and adolescent girls.
National Rural Drinking Water Program:
Launched in 2009, this program provides safe and adequate drinking water to people living in rural areas, including households, government schools, and Anganwadi.
Conclusion:
Every child has a right to nutritious food. It is essential for their proper growth and development. Adequate nutrition during childhood increases their chance at a healthy, productive life in their adulthood. In turn, this helps in the development and progress of a nation’s economy.
Therefore, every country is responsible for ensuring a proper diet for all. Malnutrition affects millions of children worldwide. A shortage of adequate nutrition and hygienic living conditions impact generations of people in developing countries. Thus, the hour needs to take suitable measures to fight malnutrition and eradicate it for a better future.
