**12. The fight against malnutrition**

Massive and strategic investments have been made to combat malnutrition by governments of various countries, India being one of them. Recently (in April 2016), the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition from 2016 to 2025. The Decade aims to catalyse policy commitments that result in measurable action to address all forms of malnutrition. The aim is to ensure all people have access to healthier and more sustainable diets to eradicate all forms of malnutrition worldwide. Sustained and concrete results can only be achieved only if determinants of malnutrition are addressed with holistic approach [32].

Outcomes of these nutritional interventions are evident in the declining patterns in some of the India's key health variables as reported by National Family Health Surveys NFHS-3 (2005–2006) and NFHS-4 (2015–2016) data.

### **12.1 Data on nutrition indicators as per the last available national survey (NFHS 4)**


#### **Figure 10.**

**12. The fight against malnutrition**

*Perspective of Recent Advances in Acute Diarrhea*

*The life-course approach on malnutrition.*

holistic approach [32].

**Figure 9.**

**(NFHS 4)**

for age).

**22**

Massive and strategic investments have been made to combat malnutrition by governments of various countries, India being one of them. Recently (in April 2016), the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition from 2016 to 2025. The Decade aims to catalyse policy commitments that result in measurable action to address all forms of malnutrition. The aim is to ensure all people have access to healthier and more sustainable diets to eradicate all forms of malnutrition worldwide. Sustained and concrete results can only be achieved only if determinants of malnutrition are addressed with

Outcomes of these nutritional interventions are evident in the declining patterns in some of the India's key health variables as reported by National Family Health

• 38% of children below 5 years (urban: 31%, rural: 41%) are stunted (low height

**12.1 Data on nutrition indicators as per the last available national survey**

• 21% (urban: 20%, rural: 22%) are wasted (low weight for height).

• 36% (urban: 29%, rural: 38%) are underweight (low weight for age).

• More importantly, 7.5% of children are suffering from severe acute

malnutrition, as per the last available national survey.

Surveys NFHS-3 (2005–2006) and NFHS-4 (2015–2016) data.

*Comparison of nutrition indicators as per NFHS-3 and NFHS-4 (source: NFHS-4, 2015–2016. Note: data on anaemia pertain to children aged 6–59 months).*
