Alarming Child Malnutrition Stats Revealed by Women and Child Development Ministry

The Women and Child Development Ministry has disclosed concerning statistics about malnutrition among children aged 0-5 years. The data reveals that 17% of children are underweight, 36% are stunted, and 6% are wasted. The analysis shows regional disparities, with states like Uttar Pradesh and Lakshadweep exhibiting the highest rates of stunting and wasting, respectively.

Recent data from the Women and Child Development Ministry paints a grim picture of child malnutrition in India. According to statistics, 17% of children aged 0-5 years are underweight, 36% are stunted, and 6% are wasted.

These key indicators of malnutrition, based on the Poshan Tracker data for June 2024, were presented in the Lok Sabha by Women and Child Development Minister, Annapurna Devi. The data indicates that Uttar Pradesh has the highest stunting rate at 46.36%, followed closely by Lakshadweep at 46.31%. Acute malnutrition, as evidenced by wasting, is most severe in Lakshadweep at 13.22%, with Bihar and Gujarat following at 9.81% and 9.16%, respectively.

Conversely, states like Goa, Sikkim, and Ladakh report comparatively low rates of malnutrition. Goa has the lowest stunting rate at 5.84%, wasting at 0.85%, and a mere 2.18% of children underweight. These variations highlight the disparities in nutritional policies and health conditions across states.