December 01, 2021
According to a recent report, India has over 33 lakh malnourished children, with the bulk of that number coming from Maharashtra, Bihar and Gujarat. As of October 14, 2021, the Ministry of Women and Child Development estimated that of the 33 lakh cases, 17.76 lakh are severely malnourished children. The numbers are registered on the Poshan tracker app, which was developed last year to monitor nutritional outcomes. A comparison of figures from last year to this shows an alarming rise—from 9.27 lakh to 17.76 lakh. Children suffering from malnourishment are usually low in weight for their height and have a weaker immune system. This is a rising concern as these children are more likely to suffer the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
