Indian households are stuck in a vicious cycle of malnutrition and poverty. Poverty causes malnutrition, which, in turn, adds to poverty. The situation is so grim that three in every four Indians cannot afford healthy food.
While 42.1 per cent of the global population cannot afford healthy food, that number is 74.1 per cent for the Indian population, according to a joint report by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO.
This means that more than 100 crore people in India are bound to eat food with insufficient nutrition. In contrast, only 10.9 per cent of the population in China cannot afford a nutritious meal.
The unaffordability of healthy food is escalating the concern about malnutrition in India. Compared to 9.2 per cent of the global population and only 2.5 per cent of China’s population, 16.6 per cent of the Indian population is undernourished.
“Undernutrition reduces economic advancement due to losses in productivity, poorer cognition and poorer educational outcomes,” UNICEF noted in the report, adding that it must be viewed as an important manifestation of larger development problems and is essential for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, to which India is signatory.
While India is the world’s fifth largest economy, the 140 crore population leaves little in the hands of an individual. Among the BRICS nations, India has the lowest per capita contribution to the economy and is projected to remain low in the next five years as well.
The per capita GDP of Russia, China, Brazil, and South Africa in 2022 stood at USD 33,263, USD 21,392, USD 17,939, and 15,718 respectively; the same was USD 8,329 in India. The above data was calculated based on purchase power parity.
Despite successive governments’ nutrition programs over the years, such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), mid-day meals, and Poshan Abhiyaan, malnutrition continues to be a persistent challenge for the country. India is home to the largest number of emaciated children in the world.
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