30,800 children severely malnourished in Maharashtra, 2,887 in Mumbai: Minister

Mumbai, July 3 (IANS) Maharashtra Minister of Women and Child Welfare Aditi Tatkare in a written reply said on Thursday that of the total children of 48,59,346 whose weight and height measured - 30,800 children were reported with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 1,51,643 with Medium Acute Malnutrition (MAM) as per Poshan track data for February 2025.

The number of malnourished children in urban areas is increasing compared to rural areas. In Mumbai suburb, of the 2,34,896 children whose weight and height measured, 2,887 were reported with SAM and 13,457 with MAM, in Thane of the 1,85,360, 844 SAM and 7,366 (MAM), in Nashik of 3,05,628, 1852 (SAM) and 8,944 (MAM), in Pune of 2,98,929, 1,666 (SAM) and 7,410 (MAM), in Dhule of 1,41,906, 1,741 (SAM) and 6,377 (MAM), in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, 1,439 (SAM) and 6,487 (MAM) and in Nagpur, 1,373 (SAM) and 6,715 (MAM), said the minister.

As per the minister, of the 2,21,338 sanctioned posts of anganwadi sevikas and assistants, the government has filled up 2,17,736 posts, while the process is underway for the recruitment of the remaining posts. Further, the government has launched the recruitment of child development project officers and supervisors.

Minister Tatkare said that the government has taken a slew of measures to reduce malnutrition, including providing fresh and nutritious food to pregnant women and lactating mothers and children under the Integrated Child Development Scheme.

Similarly, food is provided to pregnant and lactating mothers and children under the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Scheme. Further, energy-dense nutritional food is also provided to malnourished children under the SAM category.

In addition, the government is also implementing various schemes, including real-time monitoring, to contain malnutrition.

Recently, the minister launched the Suposhit Mumbai Abhiyan and Urban Child Development Centre Scheme to bring malnourished children in urban areas into the normal category. The centres, established under the Urban Child Development scheme, will be highly beneficial in ensuring proper nutrition for mothers and children right from pregnancy up to the first 1,000 days of life.

The Suposhit Mumbai Abhiyan and Urban Child Development Centre Scheme are being implemented to reduce the malnutrition rate among children in Mumbai and suburban areas.

--IANS

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