Malnutrition decreasing among tribal kids

Bhubaneswar: Education could be the key to reduce malnourishment among tribal children in India, State Tribal Welfare minister Sudam Marandi said at the national conference on nourishment of tribal children here on Thursday. “All issues pertaining to tribals will be solved through education,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Unicef representative to India Louis-Georges Arsenault said, “This is the first time a conclave is being organized to start discussion on ways to accelerate reduction of malnourishment in the various States.”

Addressing the gathering, Baijayant Panda, MP and member of Citizens’ Alliance Against Malnutrition, observed, “There is a reduction in malnourishment cases among tribal children as most of the tribal students stay in hostels. However, some tribal children suffer undernourishment right from their birth. Awareness should be created in the society against malnutrition.”

According to a Unicef report, 45 percent children of less than five years of age are suffering from malnutrition in India. In case of tribal children, the situation is worse as the figure is alarming at 53 percent.