India loses 4% of GDP to malnutrition, say experts ahead of budget -Governance Now

India loses 4% of GDP to malnutrition, say experts ahead of budget

A diverse set of processes link health care, education, sanitation, hygiene, access to resources and women empowerment

GN Bureau | January 31, 2018

#growth #GDP #malnutrition #union budget #budget #Assocham

India loses 4% of GDP to malnutrition, say experts ahead of budget

Nearly 4 percent of India’s GDP is estimated to have been lost due to malnutrition and certainly women and children deserve a better deal in expenditure outlay, since the country hosts 50 percent of undernourished children of the world and women and girl children fall last in the household food serving, said an ASSOCHAM-EY joint paper ahead of the union budget that will be presented on Thursday.

Quoting data from the National Family Health Survey-4, the ASSOCHAM-EY paper noted with concern that close to 60 percent of our children aged between 6 – 59 months are anaemic. It is only about 10 percent of the country’s total children who are receiving adequate diet.

The women and girl child, for whom the NDA government has launched flagship programmes, are no better in terms of their daily nutrition intake. About 55 percent of non-pregnant women and 58 percent of pregnant women aged between aged 15-49 years are anaemic.

“A large part of India continues to consume non-nutritious, non-balanced food either in the form of undernutrition, overnutrition or micronutrient deficiencies. It is important to understand that malnutrition derives not just from lack of food but from a diverse set of inter-linked processes linking health care, education, sanitation, hygiene, access to resources and women empowerment,” it said.

Assocham secretary general DS Rawat said, the government needs to pursue policies which “focus on removing health and social inequities. Programmes and policies that aim to address the nutrition burden present a double – win situation”.

Ernst and Young LLP Partner Amit Vatsyayan said: “While sub-optimal nutrition impacts the overall health and quality of life of people, it also adversely impacts the productivity of the country. It is estimated that that nearly 4 percent of the GDP is lost due to different forms of malnutrition.”

The adverse, irreversible and inter-generational impacts of malnutrition make optimal nutrition critical to the development of the country as a whole and all its citizens.

The paper said that in order to cater to the large unmet needs of micronutrients, it is imperative to focus on production diversity as well as food fortification at a macro level.

“For instance, millets are three to five times more nutritious than rice and wheat in terms of proteins, minerals and vitamins. They are cost effective crops as well; yet considered as poor people’s crop while rice and wheat are preferred over them. Millets are rich in Vitamin B, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and are gluten-free. They are suitable for people with gluten allergies or those with high blood sugar levels”.

Comments

Other News

Governance Now journalist Geetanjali Minhas wins ENQUBE Women Public Policy and Governance Award

Geetanjali Minhas, Associate Editor with Governance Now, has been conferred with the Women Public Policy and Governance Award by ENQUBE Collaborations. The award was presented at ‘Season 5 – Connect Future Ready Leaders: Viksit Bharat at 2047’, organised by EN

`Quitting tobacco first step to preventing oral cancer`

A study from the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology at the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, has provided new evidence that quitting tobacco, both smoking and chewing, substantially reduces the risk of oral cancer. Published in the International Journal of Cancer, the research highlights long-term benefits of cess

Why India’s health budget and lung cancer guidelines must do more

India’s Union Health Budget 2026-27 and the release of the country’s first evidence based lung cancer guidelines have sparked important conversations about whether our health system is keeping pace with global standards. These announcements are not just policy milestones – they are litmus

“India AI Impact Expo a powerful convergence of ideas, innovation & intent”

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the India AI Impact Expo 2026 as a powerful convergence of ideas, innovation, and intent. Sharing highlights of the event’s inauguration, he said the Expo, which got underway here on Monday, highlighted the extraordinary potential of Indian talent in sha

BMC polls: 24% winners have declared criminal cases against themselves

As many as 54 (or 24%) out of the 227 winning candidates of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections have declared criminal cases against themselves, according to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Maharashtra Election Watch. As many as 29 (13

PM`s first decisions from Seva Teerth reflect spirit of Seva

In his very first set of decisions after shifting to Seva Teerth, the new address of the PMO, PM Narendra Modi signed important files relating to decisions that reflect the spirit of Seva. These decisions touch every section of society: farmers, women, youth, and vulnerable citizens. 1.