Ahmedabad: Gujarat, one of the most progressive countries with impressive industrial output continues to have a long way to be borne when it comes to human development indicators.
The National Family Health Survey (2019-20) noted that almost 11% of children (under 5 years) suffered waste (low weight for altitude) against only 7% in 2005-06 or 14 years ago.
Children with severe wasting has also increased by 4 percentage points.
Analysis by the institution appointed by the International Institute of Government – International Institute for Weight, Mumbai, about nutrition related indicators revealed that the number of children suffering from anemia also increased by 10 percentage points (70% to 80%).
Likewise, in the last 14 years, the number of children anemia increased by 10%.
Both pregnant women and not pregnant also recorded an increase in anemia by 2% and 10%, revealing the Nutrition Profile of the State by the poshan report by the Institute of Economic Shold (IIG), the International Institute for the population of Science (IIPS), Niti Aayog and UNICEF.
The country has done better in several nutritional indicators such as stunting (chronic undernut during the critical growth period) from 51% to 39%.
Ironically, countries see increasing population with obesity, hypertension and blood sugar.
The percentage of children who were overweight rose from 2% at NHFS 3 (2005-06) to 4% in NHFS 5 (2019-20).
Women and men record a 6% surge and 8% in their overweight populations.
Lifestyle disorders such as high blood sugar and hypertension also make breakthroughs in tribal districts that are not urban, tribal like Dang, but, Bharuch and Porbandar.
Dr.
Ritu Rana, a public health nutritionist at IIPH-G, said this analysis was an excellent indicator for the Ministry of Health and Women & the construction of children to develop a shared action plan.
On the positive side, the state has increased in parameters such as initial initiation of breastfeeding and literacy between women from 60% to 77%.