A high percentage of children from marginalised Dalit and adivasi communities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are victims of stunting and wasting, revealed nutrition report card, a study done with an aim to improve nutrition levels among the socially deprived.
As per the report card, 54.9 per cent of adivasi children in the two States who are below 5 years of age and 47.7 per cent of Dalit children of the same group are stunted. The data also revealed that 41.6 per cent of OBC children below five years of age are also stunted.
The report prepared by National Confederation of Dalit Organisations (NACDOR) with the support of Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) was released here on Thursday. Data in the report is largely based on National Family Health Survey (2005-06).
The report also revealed that there has been a rise in stunting among children in these communities from 1998-99 to 2005-06. From 1998-99, stunting among Dalit children increased from 42.7 per cent to 47.7 per cent. And among adivasi children, it increased from 44.2 to 54.9 per cent.
Among OBC community, the percentage of stunting among children increased from 39.8 to 41.6 per cent, during the same period.
Wasted children
According to the report, 10 per cent of Dalit children below five years of age were found wasted in 2005-06 as against 9.5 per cent in 1998-99. Among adivasi children of the same age group, 10.7 per cent were found to be wasted in 2005-06 as against 7.5 per cent in 1998-99. Among OBC children below five, the percentage of those wasted increased from 10.4 per cent in 1998-99 to 15.3 per cent in 2005-06. Those from lower economic groups were also faced with child stunting, the report revealed.
