Structure of answer:

• Introduction ( About current scenario in country)
• How does it affect population?
• Why it become a public health emergency?
• About food fortification its importance
• Conclusion ( List the government’s efforts)

Key points:

• How? Iron deficiency contributes to 20% of maternal deaths and is associated with nearly half of all maternal deaths in India.
• Malnutrition extends to the children that women with anemia give birth to. They often have low birth weight, are pre-term, and suffer from poor development and lower mental abilities.
• Lack of essential nutrients in the diet makes growing children weak and makes them under nourished etc.
• Discuss why other missions to tackle malnutrition haven’t been able to succeed fully – National Food Security Act (NFSA), a free Mid-day Meal Scheme (MDM), National nutrition mission.
• Despite India’s 50% increase in GDP since 1991, more than one third of the world’s malnourished children live in India.
• Among these, half of the children under three years old are underweight and a third of wealthiest children are over-nutriented.
• India’s malnutrition problem results not from calorie intake but from dependence on a carbohydrate based diet low in protein and fat.
• Another factor triggeringmalnutrition is inadequate sanitation, which triggers an increase in infection-borne deficiencies in nutrients.
• In India 44% of children under the age of 5 are underweight. 72% of infants and 52% of married women have anaemia.
• Research has conclusively shown thatmalnutrition during pregnancy causes the child to have increased risk of future diseases, physical retardation, and reduced cognitive abilities.