The inadequacy of government intervention is clearly reflected in the countrys performance on child health indicators. As a matter of fact, only 16 countries have a lower public expenditure on healthcare than India. Since two-thirds of Indias current workforce was stunted in childhood, the economic losses that the country has borne due to it through generations is unimaginable. Annually, India loses over 12 billion in GDP to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. As an extension of the fact that the country has the highest levels of malnutrition, India also has the highest number of stunted children in the world. Childbearing at an early age can cause nutritional deficiencies in the womb and increase the risk of death by 2-10 times. Manisha Kapoor, senior researcher, Institute for Competitiveness has contributed to the article)the percentage of overweight children increased to 6.1 in 2014; and finally, there has also been a rise in wasted children by

　　As against the 12 billion that the country loses to nutritional deficiencies each year, scaling up core micronutrient interventions would cost less than 574 million annually. According to World Bank estimates, productivity losses due to malnutrition are more than 10 per cent of lifetime individual earnings or about 2-3 percent of the GDP.4 per cent of the mothers do not receive any antenatal care during their first trimester.8 per cent of the women in India are married before 18.Over the years, India has suffered heavy economic losses due to such absurd levels of malnutrition.1 to 38. A high proportion of children with anaemia, low weight, lower levels of breast feeding and evolving problems of obesity are also equally of concern. Any aspect of malnutrition directly impacts a persons productivity levels, affecting his economic viability.The potential gains from addressing these issues will far exceed the costs incurred. The views expressed are personal. Data by National Family Health Survey suggests that 2

　　Studies show that low weight at birth and stunting can reduce a childs IQ by five points. Malnourishment in a girl, combined with the Indian trend of early marriage, has a cascading effect of health complexities across generations.(Amit Kapoor is chair, Institute for Competitiveness, India. The average out-of-pocket expenditure per delivery in a public healthcare system in rural areas is almost Rs 3,000 (47), where 75 per cent of the population earns less than Rs 5,000 a month. The percentage of anaemic children, although depicting a declining trend, is still at 58.2 percentage points during the last decade. Research suggests that 1 spent on nutritional interventions in India could generate 34. The other aspects of malnutrition are no better off. It accounts for 45 per cent of child deaths. The root of the problem lies Journal Bearings Manufacturers in gross negligence of public investment in healthcare facilities, let alone a focused intervention in child health amenities. He can be contacted at [emailprotected] and tweets @kautiliya

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