NITI Aayog launches the National Nutrition Strategy

To make sure that malnutrition (Kuposhan) bids a good bye to India, NITI Aayog on 5 September 2017 launched the National Nutrition Strategy aimed at Kuposhan Mukt Bharat. Under the strategy, the problem of malnutrition will be eradicated in a phased manner.

The strategy intends at bringing nutrition to the center-stage of the National Development Agenda. The strategy was launched jointly by the leader of the Green Revolution, Dr. M S Swaminathan, Padma Shri H Sudarshan and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Dr. Rajiv Kumar and Member Dr. Vinod Paul in New Delhi.

The National Nutrition Strategy was formulated through an extensive consultative process and lays down a roadmap for effective action, among both implementers and practitioners, in achieving our nutrition objectives.

The nutrition strategy calls for convergence between four proximate determinants of nutrition - food, health services, income & livelihoods and drinking water & sanitation.

The Nutrition Strategy framework envisages a Kuposhan Mukt Bharat - linked to Swachh Bharat and Swasth Bharat. It enables states to make strategic choices, through decentralized planning and local innovation, with accountability for nutrition outcomes.

Currently, there is a lack of real time measurement of these determinants, which reduces the capacity for targeted action among the most vulnerable mothers and children. The Strategy lays down a roadmap for effective action, among both implementers and practitioners, in achieving our nutrition objectives.

This is especially relevant in view of enhanced resources available with states to prioritise focused interventions with a greater role for panchayats and urban local bodies.

In India 20 per cent of children under five years of age suffer from wasting due to acute undernutrition and it pays an income penalty of 9 to 10 per cent due to a workforce that was stunted during their childhood.

Report by NITI Aayog

A report by NITI Aayog says that every third child in India suffers from stunting or wasting or from malnutrition which is a big number. It says India is far behind the global standard in this regard.

The recently published NFHS-4 results reflect some progress, with a decline in the overall levels of under nutrition in both women and children. However, the pace of decline is far below what numerous countries with similar growth trajectories to India have achieved. Moreover, India pays an income penalty of 9 per cent to 10  per cent due to a workforce that was stunted during their childhood.