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Impact of COVID-19 on Child Nutrition in India: What are the Budgetary Implications?
(Child Rights and You (CRY), 2020) Ambast, Shruti; Kundu, Protiva; Sonawane, Shivani
The most crucial time to meet a child's nutritional requirements is the rst 1,000 days of life, through pregnancy and infancy. Poor nutrition during this period leaves children with lifelong impairment in physical and mental development. Therefore, investing in nutrition is the key to secure a country's future generation. India's policy framework includes many proven nutrition interventions. In 2015, India committed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of zero hunger. As a step towards meeting the targets by 2030, the Government of India launched the Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition (POSHAN) Abhiyan in 2017. Targets were set to reduce stunting, under-nutrition and low birth weight by two per cent each and anaemia by three per cent by 2022. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has increased the risk factors for child malnutrition in India. With the disruption of Anganwadi services and Mid-Day Meal (MDM), a large number of children no longer have access to regular, nutritious meals. The overburdening of health systems has impaired service delivery of critical health and nutrition interventions for children. Finally, the economic impact of the pandemic has reduced the frequency and quality of meals consumed by households.