Accelerating progress toward reducing child malnutrition in India. A concept for action

40 % children in situations of malnutrition in the world live in India. Existing Social Safety Net programmes and Nutritional Improvement programmes have not made an effective impact on the problem, despite positive results in some States. This is because they are not part of a genuine global nutrition strategy. This Note reviews a certain number of experiences in Thailand, China, Vietnam and Brazil that provide keys to what a global strategy could look like. Certain common points that are essential emerge from these case studies, such as service-centred nutritional policy, incentive policies based in the local community and households, and policies supported by social mobility and community-based primary health systems. These measures can be implemented concurrently.

The note proposes that India should concentrate its efforts to eradicate malnutrition on four strategic approaches:

1. ensuring that policies for economic growth or poverty reduction really benefit the poor
2. revising health policies ensuring that they improve nutrition, and improving the implementation and scope of health policies
3. increasing investments and actions in communities where the greatest numbers of poor people live
4. targeting improved health and nutrition of women and young girls.

 IFPRI - January 2008