The Food Security
Bill does not give access to diversified food. While providing food grains will
help increase access to calories, it will not ensure beneficiaries get all
important nutrients. Iron deficiency and related anemia claims 22,000 maternal
deaths per year, according to ICMR. Latest ICMR data shows 87 per cent of
pregnant women and 75 per cent of children below five years of age suffer from
iron-deficiency anemia. UNICEF data shows that Vitamin A and iodine
deficiencies are also significant in public health problems relevant to the
malnutrition challenge. The FSB might prevent starvation related deaths; but is
chronic under nutrition going to be addressed?
The ordinance specifically provides free meals to pregnant and nursing women (six months after childbirth) along with children up to 14 years, through local anganwadis (primary healthcare centres).These free meals can help pregnant women gain weight and it will consequently increase weights at birth. More than a fourth of all newborns are 'low birth infants" weighing less than 2.5 kg, according to latest UNICEF data. A healthy infant weight is around 3 kg at birth, according to UNICEF.
Free meals to children, especially adolescent girls, can also increase their weight-for-age and allow them to have healthy pregnancies and infants. But the success of free anganwadi meals is questionable especially after the deaths of 22 children in Bihar who consumed a mid-day meal.
While food security can be limited to access to more calories and diversified nutrients, any legislation will need to address sanitation shortcomings to truly attack all malnutrition problems. Diarrheal diseases, for example, create a perpetual cycle of deteriorating malnutrition; repeated episodes reduce the body's ability to absorb nutrients. Diarrhea claims 13 per cent of all child mortalities, according to UNICEF. Several things need to work out for nutrition challenges. Improved child feeding practices, such as [better] breastfeeding, is important to combat malnutrition effectively.
Studies continue to find links between nutritional status and sanitation. IFPRI has found in an ongoing exploratory analysis that access to clean toilets is most significant when explaining declining malnutrition in India's 'Hunger States'.
The ordinance specifically provides free meals to pregnant and nursing women (six months after childbirth) along with children up to 14 years, through local anganwadis (primary healthcare centres).These free meals can help pregnant women gain weight and it will consequently increase weights at birth. More than a fourth of all newborns are 'low birth infants" weighing less than 2.5 kg, according to latest UNICEF data. A healthy infant weight is around 3 kg at birth, according to UNICEF.
Free meals to children, especially adolescent girls, can also increase their weight-for-age and allow them to have healthy pregnancies and infants. But the success of free anganwadi meals is questionable especially after the deaths of 22 children in Bihar who consumed a mid-day meal.
While food security can be limited to access to more calories and diversified nutrients, any legislation will need to address sanitation shortcomings to truly attack all malnutrition problems. Diarrheal diseases, for example, create a perpetual cycle of deteriorating malnutrition; repeated episodes reduce the body's ability to absorb nutrients. Diarrhea claims 13 per cent of all child mortalities, according to UNICEF. Several things need to work out for nutrition challenges. Improved child feeding practices, such as [better] breastfeeding, is important to combat malnutrition effectively.
Studies continue to find links between nutritional status and sanitation. IFPRI has found in an ongoing exploratory analysis that access to clean toilets is most significant when explaining declining malnutrition in India's 'Hunger States'.
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