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34,594 kids suffer from malnutrition

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Think twice before wasting that extra helping of food. Recent government data paints a grim picture of malnutrition plaguing children. In the state, 34,594 children are suffering from severe malnutrition problems and 1,262 among them are from Bangalore.

The highest number have been identified from Belgaum district which has 3,639 children suffering from malnutrition. The district recording second highest cases of malnutrition is Raichur with 3,558 affected children. But, according to government data, no death has been reported due to malnutrition.

Meanwhile, the government is taking preventive measures to control malnutrition problems particularly in Hyderabad-Karnataka region districts. However, to avoid such problems, the department for women and child development has been supplying nutritional food items to children through anganwadis.

At the same time, the department is supplying 200 ml milk for three days and an egg for next three days for children suffering from under-weight problems. According to an official, there are 61,564 children, who are under-weight.

Even in districts like Koppala, Bidar, Gulburga and Raichur districts, milk and egg are given on alternate days to children who are suffer from moderate malnutrition problems. The government is also giving free medical treatment to the affected children.

However, experts are not ready to accept the government's data and claim that there are lakhs of children suffering from malnutrition. "As per the world health organisation's parameter, under-weight children should be considered as malnutrition children. In the state, 48 per cent of children are identified as under-weight; 30,000 children are moderately under-weight. The government's data about malnutrition is absolutely wrong," said Y Mariswami, malnutrition expert and state organiser of Samaj Parivartana Andolana.

Every year, number of children with malnutrition have been increasing, but the government's data shows an opposite trend. There is no proper monitoring system or scientific mechanism for identifying malnutrition cases. In a city like Bangalore, 80 per 0cent children are not covered under the government's Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Mariswami added.

District division of cases
Belgaum - 3,639
Raichur - 3,558
Koppal - 2,966
Gulburga - 2,343
Bellary - 2,270
Haveri - 1,794
Dharwad -1,775
Gadag - 1,166
 

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