SRINAGAR: New data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21) reveals that 72.7 per cent of children under the age of five in Jammu and Kashmir are affected by anaemia, highlighting a critical public health challenge in the Union Territory. The survey also shows that 26.9 per cent of children under five are stunted, 19 per cent are wasted, and 9.6 per cent are overweight, reflecting a complex nutritional landscape that combines undernutrition and rising obesity in young children.
Nationally, the survey indicates widespread child malnutrition and anaemia across India. States with the highest stunting rates include Meghalaya at 46.5 per cent, Bihar at 42.9 per cent, and Jharkhand at 39.6 per cent, while wasting is most prevalent in Gujarat (25.1 per cent) and Maharashtra (25.6 per cent). Anaemia among children under five is highest in Ladakh at 93.9 per cent, followed by Jammu and Kashmir (72.7 per cent), Gujarat (79.7 per cent) and Bihar (69.4 per cent).
The Government has underscored its commitment to addressing these challenges through programmes such as Anaemia Mukt Bharat, Mission Poshan 2.0, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, and supplementary nutrition initiatives for children, pregnant and lactating women, and adolescent girls. These efforts include hot cooked meals, take-home rations, community engagement, behavioural change campaigns, and monitoring of nutritional outcomes at the grassroots level.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, combined community-level awareness campaigns and nutritional interventions aim to reduce stunting, wasting, overweight and anaemia, while promoting improved health, wellness, and immunity among children across India.
