New Delhi: UNICEF India Representative Yasmin Ali Haque today said the country has the highest number of malnourished children in the world, however, some age-old practices, rather than scarcity of food, was responsible for the present situation. Speaking during the the national conference on Mission Malnutrition Free India-2022 here, inaugurated by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Ms Haque said the country has the highest number of malnourished children in the age group of 0-5 years, which was worrisome.
‘Though we have witnessed a change in figures in the last 10 years, a lot needs to be done, since we still hold the top slot in malnutrition in the world. She said the problem was not the scarcity of food, rather some age-old practices, which were creating hindrance in the development of children, adding that sometimes, even the mother has to delay breastfeeding because of domestic chores, which leads to under-nourishment of the newborn. Practices like ignoring the health needs of a pregnant woman, insisting on home delivery, not taking the newborn to a doctor or paramedic soon after birth, not maintaining proper hygiene and sanitation while taking care of the baby were having adverse effects on the health of both the mother and the baby, Ms Haque pointed out.
Stating that India is a land of abundance, in terms of culture, traditions and food, the UNICEF Representative said it was a pity for a country of such proportions, not being able to feed its future generation. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Chairperson Ashish Bahuguna, nutrition expert with the International Food Policy Research Institute Purnima Menon, President of ICCIDD and Board Vice-Chair at the Coalition for Food and Nutrition Society Dr Chandrakant S Pandav and Odisha Food Commission Chairman Ranglal Jamuda also spoke on the occasion.
