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Malnourished children underreported in Odisha
Why it is in news?
- The Odisha State Food Commission has expressed concern over the underreporting of severe acute malnourished (SAM) children in the State.
Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)
- It is defined by a very low weight for height
- It is the most extreme and visible form of undernutrition. Its face is a child – frail and skeletal – who requires urgent treatment to survive.
- They may also have nutritional oedema – characterized by swollen feet, face and limbs. About two thirds of these children live in Asia and almost one third live in Africa.
- Severe acute malnutrition is a major cause of death in children under 5, and its prevention and treatment are critical to child survival and development
How is SAM measured?
- Anganwadi workers use MUAC (Mid Upper Arm Circumference) tape to determine SAM and list out all children whose MUAC measurement is below 11.5 cm.
- Many districts did not identify and report on MAM (Moderately Acute Malnourished) children.
- This includes all those children whose MUAC measurement lies in between 11.5 cm and 12.5 cm
Concern
- Undernutrition continues to be a serious child health issue in Odisha and almost one third of the under five years children population due to faulty methods of screening of SAM children at the community level had led to poor detection.
- Many anganwadi centres still do not have MUAC tapes or it is in a mutilated or spoiled condition.
- It has also been observed during field visits that many anganwadi workers are not able to take MUAC measurements correctly and make errors.
Source
The Hindu