A new study has found that almost 2 in 10 infants and toddlers in India are at risk of not receiving any food for a full day. The study, which analyzed data from the Union health ministry’s nationwide family health surveys, found that the prevalence of “zero-food” children between the ages of 6 months and 23 months had increased from 17.2% in 2016 to 17.8% in 2021.
The study’s lead author, S.V. Subramanian of Harvard School of Public Health, said that such a situation was unexpected and underlined the need to redesign food policies to reach the most vulnerable households.
The study’s findings have been published in e Clinical Medicine, a member of The Lancet family of journals. India has several food and nutrition initiatives to address child malnutrition, including providing food supplements as take-home rations for children aged 6 months to 3 years.
The researchers said that precision was needed in food policies to realize the UN-set goals adopted by India to end hunger and ensure access to safe nutrition and sufficient food for all by 2030.
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