Syllabus
GS Paper 2 – Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
What does this article provide?
The article on Global Nutrition Targets (GNTs) for 2025 provides an overview of the targets set by the World Health Assembly to combat maternal and child malnutrition by 2025. It highlights the importance of reducing stunting, anemia, low birth weight, and childhood overweight, while promoting exclusive breastfeeding and reducing wasting.
Potential Topics for Prelims
Global Nutrition Targets (GNTs) and their significance, Key indicators of maternal and child nutrition
Potential Topics for Mains
Strategies to achieve Global Nutrition Targets (GNTs), Impact of malnutrition on public health and economic development
Source
The Hindu
Global Nutrition Targets (GNTs)
Introduction
The Global Nutrition Targets (GNTs) for 2025 were established by the World Health Assembly to address critical issues of maternal and child malnutrition globally. These targets aim to reduce stunting, anemia, low birth weight, and childhood overweight, while promoting exclusive breastfeeding and reducing wasting in children. Achieving these goals is essential for improving public health, enhancing human capital, and fostering sustainable development. The GNTs underscore the need for comprehensive policies, multi-sectoral collaboration, and substantial investment in nutrition programs.
Global Nutrition Targets
- Global Nutrition Targets (GNT):
- Established by the World Health Assembly as key national indicators to measure the impact of public health policies on alleviating maternal and child malnutrition.
- Global Progress in Nutrition:
- Overall, there has been slow and insufficient progress across countries, with minimal improvements in undernutrition but an increase in overweight.
- Global Projections:
- By 2030, it is projected that only a few countries will meet the targets for stunting, and none will achieve the targets for low birthweight, anemia, or childhood overweight.
- Obesity:
- Overweight has increased in children in almost all countries, although it remains less prevalent than undernutrition.
- Anemia in India:
- The prevalence of anemia in India has remained static for the past two decades.
Reasons for Slow Progress in Nutritional Health
- Poor Programme Implementation:
- Ground-level execution of nutrition programs is often inadequate and fails to reach the bottom strata of society.
- Inadequate Surveys:
- The absence of national surveys means there is a lack of understanding of the causes of anaemia in India.
- Incorrect Policies:
- Anaemia is often presumed to be due to iron deficiency, leading to policies focusing on iron supplementation and fortification.
- Recent large-scale surveys show that iron deficiency accounts for only one-third of anaemia cases, with other unknown causes contributing significantly.
- Early Onset of Deficiency:
- Stunting occurs predominantly within the first two years of life, rising from about 7-8% at birth to nearly 40% at two years of age.
- Children typically reach half their adult height in two years, and once stunted by this age, it is difficult to reverse through overfeeding.
- Inadequate Energy Intake:
- The average fat intake of poor children in India is only 7 grams per day, compared to the required 30-40 grams per day.
- Energy intake is crucial for growth in the first two years, with oil being the most energy-dense food.
- Differences in Measurement:
- The prevalence of anaemia measured using venous blood (as recommended by WHO) is roughly half that measured using capillary blood.
- Singular Approach:
- The same cut-off criteria for anaemia may not be applicable to all populations.
- Metabolic Risks:
- Metabolic risks affect about 50% of Indian children aged 5-19 years, even those who are stunted and underweight.
Strategies to Improve Nutritional Health
- Double Duty Actions:
- Implement actions that address both under-nutrition and over-nutrition simultaneously.
- Diet Diversification:
- Emphasize diversifying diets effectively rather than solely focusing on specific nutrient deficiencies.
- Accurate Metrics:
- Ensure accurate metrics for successful public health interventions.
- Prevention Focus:
- Concentrate on prevention during the first two years of life, even though global nutrition targets address stunting in children under five years of age.
- Policy Target on Overnutrition:
- Make childhood overnutrition an important policy target to tackle the issue of overweight.
Conclusion
The Global Nutrition Targets (GNTs) for 2025 present a vital framework for tackling the pervasive issues of maternal and child malnutrition worldwide. While the progress has been uneven and slower than anticipated, these targets underscore the need for sustained and comprehensive efforts. By focusing on both undernutrition and overnutrition, fostering diverse and nutritious diets, and ensuring accurate metrics, the international community can make significant strides toward improving global nutritional health. Addressing these challenges requires multi-sectoral collaboration, robust policies, and targeted investments to create a healthier, more equitable future for all.
Related PYQ
In order to enhance the prospects of social development, sound and adequate health care policies are needed in the fields of geriatric and maternal health care. Discuss. [UPSC CSE – 2020 Mains]
Practice Question
Discuss the significance of Global Nutrition Targets (GNTs) for 2025 in addressing maternal and child malnutrition. Highlight the challenges and suggest measures to ensure successful implementation of these targets. [150 words]
Guidelines to Answer the Question
- Introduction:
- Briefly introduce Global Nutrition Targets (GNTs) for 2025 and their purpose.
- Significance:
- Explain how GNTs aim to reduce stunting, anemia, low birth weight, and childhood overweight.
- Emphasize the importance of promoting exclusive breastfeeding and reducing wasting in children.
- Challenges:
- Discuss the slow progress in achieving the targets.
- Address issues such as inadequate implementation, incorrect policies, and insufficient surveys.
- Highlight the prevalence of anemia and early onset of stunting.
- Measures:
- Suggest measures like double duty actions, diet diversification, and ensuring accurate metrics.
- Emphasize the importance of prevention in the first two years of life.
- Recommend making childhood overnutrition an important policy target.
- Conclusion:
- Conclude with the need for multi-sectoral collaboration, robust policies, and targeted investments to achieve the GNTs and improve global nutritional health.