India at Par with Africa on Nutrition, 50 Pct Children Malnourished

Save the Children India's CEO Thomas Chandy said, "We know the geographic areas and the social groups where malnutrition levels are the highest. We also know the reasons. The report is a pointer to the need to back political commitment with adequate resources and effective mechanisms," as reported by The Times of India.

He further said that "In India, states that have supported their policies and schemes with adequate resources and political will have done much better in dealing with malnutrition and child mortality and maternal mortality."

The report cautioned that the country is likely to miss the Millennium Development Goal on child mortality.  India's spending on health is awfully low, only 1.67 percent of the GDP has been allocated in the 12th Plan.

Malnutrition is one of the biggest underlying causes of child mortality in the country. The report points out that maternal under nutrition, long-term exposure to a poor diet and repeated infections have also left 165-170 million children under-five stunted, averting them from reaching their full potential.

“Alarmingly, the proportion of wasted children (suffering acute weight loss) actually went up in the second half of the 2000s," said the report. It quoted that growth has lifted millions out of poverty but it has also been largely unequal, with the benefits increasing to a small segment of the population.

The report also quoted PM Manmohan Singh, who had recently referred to under nutrition levels as a "matter of national shame" with gigantic costs in terms of health, well-being and economic development.