MALNUTRITION

1.Context

Iron deficiency anaemia is responsible for 3.6% of disability-adjusted life years or DALYs (years of life lost due to premature mortality and years lived with disability).Malnutrition is most serious challenge and concern.

2.Various Reports Findings

• As per National Family Health Survey -5, every second Indian woman is anaemic, every third child is stunted and malnourished, and every fifth child is wasted.
• According to Food Security Report for 2021, India ranks 101 out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2021, with a 15.3%undernourished population, the highest proportion of stunted children (30%), and wasted children (17.3%).
• Global Nutrition Report 2021-stunting among children in India is significantly higher than the Asian average of 21.8%.
• According to WHO  a loss of 47 million DALYS or years of healthy life are lost due to illness, disability, or premature death(2016). According to NITI Aayog, a rice fortification budget of rs 2800 crore per year can save 35% of the total or 16.6 million DALYs per year

3.Food fortification 

It is the process of adding nutrients to food. For instance, rice and wheat are fortified with iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, and salt is fortified with iron and iodine.

Since 1920, developed countries and high-income countries have successfully tackled the issue of malnutrition through food fortification. Low and middle-income countries such as India; have pursued food fortification as one of the strategies to tackle micronutrient malnutrition.

5.Outcome of programme

The programme has been a success in preventing anaemia-from 58.9% to 29.5% within 2 years

Prompting the central government to declare the scaling up of the distribution of fortified rice through the existing platform of social safety nets such as the PDS, ICDS, and PM-POSHAN.

The health benefits accruing from food fortification have made 80 countries frame laws for the fortification of cereal flour, and 130 countries with iodized salt, where 13 countries have mandated rice fortification.

6.Non-Meal Scheme in Gujarat

In Gujarat, an eight-month-long study on multiple micronutrients fortified rice intervention for schoolchildren (6-12years) in 2008-2019, as part of the Midday Meal Scheme, found increased hemoglobin concentration,10%reduction in anemia prevalence, and more importantly improved average cognitive scores by 11.3%.

7.Advantages of Food Fortification

It is a cost-effective complementary strategy to address multiple micronutrient deficiencies. Thus, given its proven efficacy and cost-effectiveness, food fortification can help us in reducing micronutrient deficiencies and address overall health benefits.

8.Concerns

Activists have expressed concern that excess iron overload from fortified rice has been dangerous for Jharkhand's tribal population suffering from sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia.