Adivasis, Bengali Muslims worst hit by child malnutrition in Assam They have low access to nutritious food in spite of increase in number of anganwadis under Integrated Child Development Scheme
Adivasis and Bengali Muslims have highest rate of malnutrition in Assam. A comparison with data of 2005-06 for Assam, collected for children of all age groups by the Central government, shows that their condition has not improved despite a proliferation of anganwadis in the state. The problem is acute among Bengali Muslims, primarily owing to their immigration status and low wages in tea gardens.
However, prevalence of wasting (low weight for height) was found to be higher among the Adivasis. The data showed that 8.2 per cent children of all communities were wasted and 1 per cent were severely wasted. The rate was more or less the same for Adivasi children-10.4 per cent and 1.1per cent. No data was available for Bengali Muslims.
"The report shows that children belonging to tribal and Bengali Muslim communities are worst off. They are more malnourished because of low access to nutritious food," said Monica Banerjee, director-programmes, NFI, Delhi.
Conducted among 1,376 children, the study compared the results with the data for Assam from the 2005-06 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) – 3. The report shows that the situation has hardly improved. For example, if 7 per cent children of 2-3 years of age were wasted during NFHS-3, it is 7.4 per cent in the new report. The situation for children in age group 3-4 years is worst-wasting has increased significantly from 8.1 per cent to 15.2 per cent. Similarly, for children in 4-5 years age group, from 12 per cent it has barely come down to 11 per cent.