Uttar Pradesh stands as the second most malnourished state after Bihar in the country. Most of the districts are lagging in the state, with Barabanki district alone having 60,447 malnourished children.
Barabanki: A healthy society is a road to a healthy future, but when the majority of the population is in the grip of despair then these claims are just blank statements. The country is still fighting to come out of poverty even after decades of independence.
Many Governments since independence made tall claims, but they always fell short of making an impact on the ground. In the midst of this, poverty gave the country a seemingly everlasting problem 'Malnutrition'
Uttar Pradesh stands second in Malnutrition
The effect of this epidemic can be seen across the length and breadth of the state, and Uttar Pradesh stands a dismal second in the country. A report tells that 46.5% of children in the state are malnourished. Barabanki district alone has about 60,447 children suffering from malnutrition. 26% of the children in the district are malnourished. The state in other districts is even worse.
Every year seven lakh children die
According to UNICEF, every third child of the age of five years is malnourished. Seven lakh children die every year worldwide due to malnourishment. Children in the age group of 6 months to 23 months are the most prone to malnourishment.
In India, Government apathy is the fundamental reason for the failure to deal with this menace. Only 16% of the budget was spent last days on fighting malnutrition. The current Government is taking the problem seriously, but 5e problem is big and some war footing steps need to be taken.
Barabanki has 60,447 children in the grasp of malnourishment
Malnutrition has become a bigger menace for the entire country. Barabanki district is also bearing the brunt of the menace. 60,447 children alone in the district are malnourished. Out of this, only 3000 children were successfully taken out of the category of malnourished children.
Children of 5 years most affected by malnutrition
Children who are five years old are more prone to malnutrition, wherein many diseases strike these age children. The biggest reason for this is, children not getting a sufficient amount of nutritious food. In today’s scenario, the definition of malnutrition has changed, now the disease is classified into two categories:
Loss of weight in comparison to age
When the child doesn’t get nutritious food right after birth, they become prone to malnutrition. This, in turn, decreases their immunity to fight diseases, resulting in the child getting affected by various untimely diseases. This stunts the mental and physical growth of the child.
Obesity is also malnutrition
The children who have gained excess weight as compared to their age due to overeating, they also have been kept in the category of malnourished children.
How will the Yogi Government eradicate Malnutrition
The previous Samajwadi party Government had started “haunsla poshan yojna” to fight malnutrition, but this scheme could never make an impact on the ground. The current Governemnt is making tall claims of fighting malnutrition. The current Government is also faced with the same question if genuine steps would be taken to fight malnutrition or the children will be left alone to fall in the diaspora of this menace
Prakash Kumar, DPO of Barabanki says that different programs are being run to keep children out of the danger of malnutrition. Anganwadi centres with seven different departments of the district are working together to fight the menace of malnutrition.
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