India's Underweight Children Crisis: High-Risk Districts Face "Triple Threat"

• NFHS-5 reveals 32.1% of Indian children under five are underweight, with over 100 districts identified as "critical" or "very serious" for undernutrition.
• High-risk districts show 20-40% higher underweight prevalence than the national average, driven by chronic nutritional stress, poor maternal health, and infections.
• Dr Vimal Pahuja notes this leads to metabolic programming, predisposing children to long-term health issues like the "thrifty phenotype."
• Dr Rahul Verma identifies a "triple threat": "inherited hunger" from maternal anemia, "leaking gut" due to poor sanitation, and "hidden hunger" from micronutrient-deficient diets.
• Targeted interventions are crucial for these districts, focusing on maternal nutrition, fortified foods, sanitation, and growth screening to prevent a lost generation.

Why It Matters: India faces a severe child undernutrition crisis in specific districts, driven by a "triple threat" requiring urgent, targeted interventions.