[Reader-list] Reg: Set - 12 on Right to Food

[Rakesh Iyer]

 India's shame: Hungry, dying children

NDTV Correspondent<http://www.ndtv.com/news/search/result.php?cx=partner-pub-7641565019577886%3Ax0cui3-m2pp&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=NDTV%20Correspondent&sa=Go&siteurl=www.ndtv.com%252Fnews%252Findex.php#1143>,
Updated: March 20, 2010 10:37 IST


*Jhabua District, Bhopal: * In two extremes of India's supply chain, while
surplus grain worth crores of rupees is rotting away in Punjab, malnutrition
leads to the death of 83 children every day in Madhya Pradesh. This is
happening for the last four years

For months Kommudi's family has only eaten corn powder boiled with water
twice a day. Both her children are entitled to get lunch at the village
anganwadi but Kommudi is too weak to take them there.

Rewibai, Kommudi's Mother-in-law: "No one has come to see us. We have no
money for their treatment."

Satna, Khandwa, Dhar, Shivpuri, Sheopur, Sidhi, Rewa, Khargone, Jhabua, this
is emerging as the most improverished belt of India, tribal Madhya Pradesh.

Here malnourishment-related deaths among children have become like an
epidemic.

Agreeing with a state-wide survey the Health Department says as many 60% of
Madhya Pradesh's children are malnourished.

*Madhya Pradesh*
*2009 findings* : 60% of children malnourished

Diseases caused by malnutrition has killed over 1.2 lakh children in the
last four years which means 83 children died everyday.

*Madhya Pradesh
2005-2009*

   - 1,22,420 malnutrition-related deaths
   - 83 deaths a day


The situation in Jhabua where Kommudi lives is the worst. In recent months
43 children have died in malnutrition-related ailments.

*Jhabua *
Nov 2009 to Jan 2010: 43 Children Died

A survey in the district shows 7% infants in Jhabua die before their first
birthday.

*Jhabua *
2008 survey: 70 of 1,000 infants die before they turn 1

"Malnutrition actually creates an environment for various kind of diseases
and in that particular context it is the very fundamental thing that Women
and Child Development and the Health Department have to come together and
create a programme to handle this problem of malnutrition in the state,"
says Sachin Jain, Adviser to the Supreme Court Commissioners On Right To
Food.

Ranjana Baghel, Minister, Women and Child Development says she refuses to
make any commitments in this regard.

So, who then is accountable for these deaths? Until and unless the two
crucial departments bridge their differences the fight against malnutrition
in Madhya Pradesh will never be won.


Read more at:
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/indias-shame-hungry-dying-children-18127?cp


Read more at:
http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/indias-shame-hungry-dying-children-18127?cp



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