While the state government claims that cases of malnutrition and related deaths in tribal areas have declined, activists admit that they need to cover a huge distance.
While the state government claims that cases of malnutrition and related deaths in tribal areas have declined, activists admit that they need to cover a huge distance.
In the recent Budget session of the state Legislature, the government admitted that Palghar, which has a significant population of tribals, has seen mortalities of 469 infants (those between the age of zero and six years) in 2017-18 and 348 deaths in 2018-19. Maternal mortalities recorded in the district, which was carved out of Thane, in 2014, were eight and five in the same periods.
Similarly, tribal-dominated Melghat in Amravati district, saw 268 and 309 deaths of children between the ages of zero and six years in 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively. The maternal mortality was eight and six in the two financial years.
While activists working in the sector attributed these deaths to malnutrition, the state government claims these fatalities occurred due to factors like low and pre-mature births, asphyxia and congenital heart disease.
"It is true that comparatively, malnutrition-related deaths of children have declined in areas of Jawhar and Mokhada. But, one should not be happy at these figures as the problem still persists," said former MLA Vivek Pandit, who is the chairman of the state government's tribal development review committee.
Pandit, who heads the Shramjeevi Sanghatana, admitted that now, "patchwork measures" were being taken. "Malnutrition is related to hunger and starvation. The purchasing power of people must be increased. This is not just a public health issue. The health issue begins when children fall ill. But this happens because they lack nutrition and are unable to get proper food. The answers for this problem lie in ensuring that hunger is done away with and creation of jobs and productive employment in tribal areas through forest and agro-based industries," he explained.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Malnutrition")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}