Underprivileged Children Must Have Access To Proper Food And Nutrition

For a child's wholesome development, a proper diet and primary healthcare are crucial. To avoid long-term and, in some circumstances, irreversible damage to a child's health, timely, regular, and appropriate intake of basic nourishment is required for all children. At CRY, we think that children's rights must be protected and that includes protecting children from starvation and bad health, regardless of their socio-economic status.

The nutrition received in the first 1000 days of children’s lives is crucial. It helps in their physical, mental and cognitive development but the reality is that 89% of children between 6-23 months DO NOT get an adequate diet in India (Source: NFHS-5). They are deprived of nutritional care due to poverty, lack of resources and awareness, which makes them vulnerable to malnutrition.

The stronger a child's health is, the more likely they are to reach their full potential and prosper in the future. However, malnutrition in India is responsible for two out of every three child deaths under the age of five (Source: UNICEF 2019). Many groups in India have been affected by the pandemic, particularly children from marginalized communities. The long-term effects of the coronavirus outbreak have worsened the situation with school closures leading to the suspension of the school midday meal and the loss of family income etc.

Children have suffered enough but this must stop as they require regular and proper monitoring and care, timely immunizations and adequate nutrition; instead of hunger, health problems, and varied forms of child abuse. At 48.2 million, India already has the highest number of malnourished children in the world. To help improve this scenario, CRY’s on-ground team has been focusing on the below area:

• To reduce infant/child mortality, we have been regularly monitoring the health of children.

• Vaccinating children on a regular basis to prevent exposure to other dangerous diseases is a priority that should not be overlooked.

•  Providing lactating and pregnant moms with timely care.

• The CRY teams have been partnering with local government systems, village leaders, and healthcare workers to join hands and work together to protect the health of children.

Our health and nutrition programs take a proactive and responsive approach to decrease India’s infant mortality rate (IMR), the child mortality rate (CMR), and the maternal mortality rate (MMR).

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