The problem in India
This high percentage of malnutrition manifests itself in the following ways:
- 62% of children under five suffer from vitamin A deficiency
- 39% of children are stunted
- 29.4% of children are underweight
- The under-five mortality rate is 48/1000 live births
- In India, more than 50% of all women in the reproductive age group (15-45 years) have anemia
Compounding the health threats caused by vitamin A deficiency are the effects of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) a neglected tropical disease which the WHO also classified as a high-prevalence issue in India among the general population (including children under five).
According to Government of India statistics:
- 46.2% children 6-59 months received a dose of vitamin A in last 6 months
- 27.2% children 12-59 months received deworming medication in last 6 months
- 30.3% of the pregnant women consumed Iron & Folic Acid (IFA) tablets for at least 100 days
Though the extent of [AH5] under nutrition and STH infection on India’s population is challenging, we believe that our work has—and will continue to—make a positive difference.