Death rates from malnutrition are much higher in low-income countries, where children often don’t get the diversity of nutrients.

India’s Position on Malnutrition

In 2021, in India, 0.7 million children under the age of five died. Of these, 0.5 million of the deaths were attributed to child and maternal malnutrition. It means, over 70% of them were linked to nutritional deficiencies. 

• Concerns: 
  • High Data: However, in 2021, the world over, around 50% of child deaths — about 20% points less than India’s figures — were linked to nutritional deficiencies.
  • Premature Death: In most cases, children don’t die of malnutrition. They die from conditions that are exacerbated or are triggered by it. In most cases, it is a risk factor for premature death.

Chart 1: Number of Child Deaths in India attributed to various Nutritional Risk Factors

• Low Birth Weight: Child Deaths in India are highest due to low birth weight.
• Other Factors: Underweight, Wasting, Stunting, Suboptimal breastfeeding, Vitamin A Deficiency and Zinc Deficiency
  • Wasting means weight is too low for their height 
  • Stunting means too short for their age
• Factors: It often happens because the mother is malnourished or has experienced infectious diseases during pregnancy. 
• Prevalence: Death rates from malnutrition are much higher in low-income countries
  • Reason: Children often don’t get the diversity of nutrients they need and where infectious diseases are much more common.

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Chart 2: Country-wise Malnutrition Death Rates

• Affected Regions: Most malnutrition deaths occur in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. 
  • Most affected Countries are Chad Somalia and Mali
• BRICS countries also have an impact.
• Differences Observed: In rich countries (on the right of the chart), rates are 20 to 50 times lower than in the poorest countries, on the left. 

Chart 3: Nutritional Risk Factors and Child Death in India

• Estimation: It shows the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s estimates of the number of child deaths related to malnutrition since 1990 in India.
• Decline in Death Rates: In India, the drop in child deaths was from 2.4 million in 1990 to 0.5 million in 2021— a 80% drop.
• Factors of Improvement: 
• Decline in deaths from diarrhoeal diseases due to clean water
  • Improvements in sanitation, handwashing, and better and more widespread treatments. 
  • Antimalarials and bednets have reduced malaria death rates. 
  • Most children are vaccinated against tuberculosis, and a growing number are against rotavirus.
  • Support for mothers and babies during pregnancy and after birth has also improved. 
  • More births are attended by skilled health workers, which means that when babies are born with very low birth weights, professional medical workers are there to help and advise.

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