Village women listening to health workers
Commitment To Action: Ensuring Nutrition Financing In India
While low revenues due to the pandemic may mean substantial funds for nutrition may not be possible, there are still ways to ensure more nutrition for the money. Here’s how.
As the Union government gears up to present its budget for the financial year (FY) 2021-22 on February 1, one hopes that programmes to reduce malnutrition are prioritised. The onset of the pandemic, subsequent lockdown, and slowdown of service delivery have exacerbated the vulnerability of those malnourished – in particular, pregnant women, young mothers, and children. Loss of livelihood and consequent decline in real incomes during the pandemic is estimated to result in a significant increase in malnutrition. As per one estimate, even a 9.5 per cent decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in India could result in an additional 3.946 million children wasted . To put this into perspective: India’s first quarter GDP estimates suggested a contraction by 22.8 per cent . With the second quarter also in the negative , the situation looks grim. Government’s own administrative data suggest a slowdown in service provision particularly for immunisation, counselling, check-ups, and micronutrient provision.