INDIA HEALTH REPORT: NUTRITION 201

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KEY MESSAGES

Stunting, wasting and underweight rates of India's children have declined, especially during the last

decade, but still exceed levels observed in countries at similar income levels.

KEY MESSAGE: 1

The rate of improvement in nutritional status has not kept pace with India's significant gains in economic

prosperity and agricultural productivity during recent decades. Stunting rates are likely to decline with

economic progress, but economic growth cannot, by itself, reduce undernutrition and may contribute to

overweight and obesity.

KEY MESSAGE: 2

Nutritional status and progress on reducing stunting vary markedly across India's states indicating that state-specific approaches are necessary to achieve

further gains in reducing stunting.

KEY MESSAGE: 3

The underlying reasons for India's high rates of stunting and variability in progress are complex and intertwined.

KEY MESSAGE: 4

India ignores the problem of undernutrition and its impact on child development at its peril and risks large economic, health and social consequences for future

generations.

KEY MESSAGE: 5

India's undernutrition problem is a serious threat to child development. Accelerating action at the state-

level is essential to change the course of the future for India's children.

KEY MESSAGE: 6

FIGURE 1. TRENDS IN NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN INDIA, 1993 to 2014

FIGURE 2. PREVALENCE OF UNDER-5 STUNTING AND LEVEL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BY COUNTRY

FIGURE 3. AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF REDUCTION IN UNDER-5 STUNTING, 2005 to 2014, BY COUNTRY

FIGURE 4. STUNTING, WASTING AND UNDERWEIGHT PREVALENCE IN UNDER-5 CHILDREN, BY GLOBAL REGIONS

FIGURE 5. PER CAPITA INCOME AND PREVALENCE OF STUNTING IN UNDER-5 CHILDREN, BY STATE

FIGURE 6. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND PREVALENCE OF STUNTING IN UNDER-5 CHILDREN IN INDIA

FIGURE 7. PREVALENCE OF STUNTING IN UNDER-5 CHILDREN, BY STATE

FIGURE 8. PREVALENCE OF STUNTING IN UNDER-5 CHILDREN IN 2014 AND ANNUAL RATE OF REDUCTION,

2006 TO 2014, BY STATE

FIGURE 9. PREVALENCE OF WASTING IN UNDER-5 CHILDREN, BY STATE

FIGURE 10. PREVALENCE OF UNDERWEIGHT IN UNDER-5 CHILDREN, BY STATE

FIGURE 11. PREVALENCE OF ANEMIA IN CHILDREN (6-59 MONTHS) AND WOMEN (15-49 YEARS), BY STATE

FIGURE 12. PREVALENCE OF STUNTING, WASTING AND UNDERWEIGHT IN UNDER-5 CHILDREN,

BY PLACE OF RESIDENCE

FIGURE 13. STUNTING PREVALENCE IN UNDER-5 CHILDREN AND AVERAGE AGE OF MARRIAGE OF WOMEN

COMPARATIVE INDICATORS

1. CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS WHO ARE STUNTED

2. CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS WHO ARE WASTED

3. INFANTS 0-5 MONTHS OLD WHO ARE EXCLUSIVELY BREASTFED

4. CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS WHO WERE LOW BIRTH WEIGHT

5. WOMEN 15-49 YEARS OLD WITH ANEMIA

6. CHILDREN 6-59 MONTHS OLD WITH ANEMIA

7. ADOLESCENT GIRLS 15-18 YEARS OLD WITH LOW BODY MASS INDEX

8. INFANTS 6-8 MONTHS OLD WHO RECEIVE SOLID, SEMI-SOLID OR SOFT FOODS

9. MINIMUM DIET DIVERSITY DURING COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING

(FOR INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN 6-23 MONTHS OLD)

10. CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS WITH DIARRHEA IN 15 DAYS PRIOR TO SURVEY

11. MOTHERS OF CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS OLD WHO RECEIVED THREE OR MORE ANTENATAL CHECKUPS

12. CHILDREN 12-23 MONTHS OLD WHO ARE FULLY IMMUNIZED

13. CHILDREN 6-35 MONTHS OLD WHO RECEIVED SUPPLEMENTARY FOOD UNDER ICDS FOR AT LEAST 21 DAYS IN THE MONTH PRIOR TO THE SURVEY

14. CURRENTLY MARRIED WOMEN WITH 10 OR MORE YEARS OF SCHOOLING

15. WOMEN AGED 20-24 YEARS WHO WERE MARRIED BEFORE THE AGE OF 18

16. OPEN DEFECATION

17. POPULATION BELOW STATE-SPECIFIC POVERTY LINE

18. STATES THAT HAVE A NUTRITION MISSION