Half Its Small Children Are Malnourished
By SOMINI SENGUPTA
Published: February 10, 2007
MUMBAI, India, Feb. 9 — Even after India’s years of sustained economic growth, child malnutrition rates here are comparable to some of the poorest countries, and at times worse.
In this young nation, where 40 percent of the people are under 18, figures released by the government on Friday offered an alarming portrait of child health: Among children under 3, nearly half are clinically underweight, the most reliable measure of malnutrition.
Additionally troubling, the incidence of child malnutrition declined only one percentage point, to 46 percent, in seven years, according the latest National Family Health Survey. During that time, the economy grew at 6 to 8 percent; it is poised to swell by more than 9 percent in the current fiscal year, the government announced this week.
India’s economic prospects pivot in part around what it calls its demographic dividend.
But the child malnutrition rates put India roughly on a par with Burkina Faso and Bangladesh. Sudan posted better results, according to data compiled by the United Nations Children’s Fund, or Unicef. Malnutrition in China was about 8 percent, Unicef said.
And few days ago we found this news clip:
Indian Air Force is planning to buy 126 fighter planes. The IAF has sent a draft proposal on this to the government. The purchase may cost $6.5 billion
details: http://www.talkingtarmac.com/military/iaf-fighters.asp
No need of comment it is stark reality!
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