Gujarat ranked second with 39.7% of underweight children under the age of five, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5, while topping the GDP list issued by the Reserve Bank of India State Data Handbook for 2019-20 in India.

With a per capita net state domestic product (NSDP) of Rs 3.03 lakh, it had the highest GDP, nearly double the national average of Rs 1.51 lakh. In terms of malnourished children, Bihar topped the list with 41 %, Maharashtra was second with 12%, and Jharkhand third with 10 %. According to a study of state GDP versus underweight or malnourished children, Gujarat had 16 % greater malnutrition than expected given its high GDP. Several previous investigations had painted a similar picture, showing the states malnutrition concern. Prof Dileep Mavalankar, director of the Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG), noted that nutrition plays an important role and that with growing inflation, every household will spend approximately 10% less on food.

Several additional experts stressed the importance of expanding breastfeeding and that the problem of malnutrition may be overcome by nourishing and educating young women about the essential function of nutrition in the birth and proper growth of a child. To combat the malnutrition problem, the state launched the Vachan (Vital Actions for Child Health and Nutrition) initiative, which aims to eradicate malnutrition.

The Gujarat state government had begun to look into the matter seriously, and after Covid, the state′s nutrition programs were strengthened across the board. A tight 90-day deadline was given to staff to work in the area of malnutrition through ′nutritious food and 100 ml milk′ every day as a strict approach to address malnutrition among children. (ETHealthWorld, June 03, 2022)