Understanding malnutrition in India

Malnutrition is one of the largest factors supressing India's spectacular growth. In a country of lunar missions, billionaires, and nuclear power, a staggering 46% of all India children under 5 years old are still underweight. In India, where everything is on a large scale, malnutrition is daunting - an estimated 200 million children are underweight at any given time, with more than 6 million of those children suffering from the worst form of malnutrition, severe acute malnutrition. Experts estimate that malnutrition constitutes over 22% of India's disease burden, making malnutrition one of the nation's largest health threats.

The causes of malnutrition and therefore the solutions to the problem vary as much as the Indian people. To understand and solve malnutrition requires patience, nuance, flexibility, and above all determination.

Follow me as I set out to understand malnutrition in the subcontinent and begin to tackle it

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Not just too little too late

Its pouring right now in Jhabua, but even though farmers here have spent the last 4 months praying for more rain, no one is rejoicing right now.

The monsoon and growing season ended in Jhabua last week after a disappointing season - the most disappointing in 37 years. Across India rainfall was 23% below average, with deficiency climbing as high as 36% throughout areas in the Northwest. Just type in "India drought" into a Google News search and you'll find 100s of articles on the subject and analysis on the dreary consequences some experts predict.

This year's crop is expected to be at least 50% deficient. Farmers here have spent the past week or so harvesting their crop, drying goods and storing them for the season or sale in the market. Now there is a danger that many of the crops I saw today laying in bushels in fields or in trees to dry will get wet and mold, ruining what little the farmers have left of their months of work.

These poor farmers cannot get a break.
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