Women’s health crucial to combat stunting: study

Women’s health crucial to combat stunting: study

News:

1. A study by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) highlights the impact of women’s health on stunting of children.

Important Facts:

2. The study analysed data from National Family Health Survey (NHFS) – IV
3. There are 63 million stunted children in India
4. In May 2018, the prevalence of stunting in India is 38.4% as compared to 48%in 2006
5. North-south divide: Northern states account for more than 80% of stunted children at 52.6 million. While southern States together account for 8.1 million stunted children
6. North-eastern and island States account for nearly 2.4 million.
7. There are wide variations across districts- varies between 12.4% to 65.1%
8. 239 out of 640 districts have stunting levels above 40%
9. 202 districts have a prevalence of 30-40%
10. Only 29 districts have stunting levels between 10-20%
11. Most of the concentration of districts with high stunting is in the north and central India
12. Inter-district differences are reflected in economic, health, hygiene and demographic factors. Parameters related to women such as education, age at marriage and women nutrition largely determines inter-district variations
13. The study highlights the need for targeted policy intervention to combat stunting. Critical determinants in individual districts should be addressed with a focus on women related parameters