India's Hidden Malnutrition Crisis: District-Level Undernutrition Threatens Generations

• NFHS-5 (2019-21) reveals 32.1% of Indian children under five are underweight, with significant district-level disparities.
• Over 100 districts are identified as 'critical' or 'very serious' for under-5 undernutrition, with some areas having 20-40% higher prevalence than the national average.
• Dr. Vimal Pahuja highlights that undernutrition reflects chronic nutritional stress, impacting cellular and hormonal adaptation.
• The 'triple threat' of inherited hunger (maternal anaemia), leaking gut (environmental enteropathy due to poor sanitation), and hidden hunger (lack of micronutrients despite calorie intake) drives the crisis.
• Targeted, context-specific interventions focusing on maternal nutrition, micronutrient fortification, and sanitation are crucial to address this issue beyond national averages.

Why It Matters: District-level undernutrition in India poses a severe, generation-spanning threat requiring targeted interventions.