Background

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If your child us slow to grasp things, perhaps she is already in the clutches of Malnutrition.

Nearly half of all children in India are malnourished and almost a million children die before they are a month old each year. Many new mothers are adolescents, most of them anaemic and put on only half the weight during pregnancy as compared to the global average.


Good nutrition is the cornerstone for survival, health and development.

Well-nourished children perform better in school, grow into healthy adults and in turn give their children a better start in life.

Well-nourished women face fewer risks during pregnancy and childbirth, and their children set off on firmer and optimal growth and developmental paths, both physically and mentally.

Teaching mothers, especially those that are illiterate, about the right nutrition for themselves and their children is at the heart of bringing about this change and laying a foundation for combating malnutrition.

Malnutrition in India

The maternal and child mortality and malnutrition numbers in India are alarmingly high. Many new mothers are adolescents, most of them anaemic and put on only half the weight during pregnancy as compared to the global average.

Nearly half of all children in India are malnourished and almost a million children die before they are a month old each year. Sixty million children are too short for their age and half of those are too thin (acutely malnourished).

India - Women

This year 56,000 pregnant women will die in India, most during childbirth.

  • 36% of women are underweight
  • 56% of women and 56% of adolescent girls suffer from iron deficiency anaemia
  • Half of the adolescent girls between 15-19 years old are undernourished
  • Too often, new mothers are adolescents. A staggering 75% of them are anaemic and most put on less weight during pregnancy than they should - 5 kgs. on average compared to the worldwide average of close to 10kgs.
Underweight
36%

Iron Deficiency Anaemia
56%

Undernourished Girls
50%

Anaemic New Mothers
75%

India - Children

This year 309,300 Indian babies will die on the very day they are born.
This year 876,200 will die during their first month of life.
This year 1.6 million will die before they reach their fifth birthdays.

  • 22% of babies are born with low birth-weight
  • 42% children (0-5 years) are underweight
  • 79% (6-35 months) have iron deficiency
  • Nearly half of all India's children - approximately 60 million - are underweight.
Low birth-weight
22%

Underweight (0-5 years)
42%

Iron Deficiency (6-35 months)
79%

Underweight
50%
 

About Poshan

The Poshan program is conducted under the aegis of Indian Academy of Pediatrics, in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, HealthPhone™, UNICEF and with support from Vodafone.

The objective of this nationwide campaign against malnutrition is to address issues of status of women, the care of pregnant mothers and children under two, breastfeeding and the importance of balanced nutrition and health. The focus is on women between 13 and 35 years of age and their family members.


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