Why Gujarat is fast in progress and number-1 in terms of malnourished children, what is the reason for this?

Why Child Malnutrition Is High In Gujarat: The issue of malnutrition among children is once again in discussion in Gujarat. Amidst the progress of the state, the question is being raised as to why the situation in terms of malnutrition remains so serious. Recently there was a debate on this issue in the Assembly, where Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani claimed that 40 out of 100 children in the state are malnourished and a large number of them come from the tribal community. To this, Women and Child Development Minister Manisha Vakil replied that the opposition is relying on old data. He said that according to the nutrition tracker, only 11.4 percent children in Gujarat are malnourished by January 2026 and this has declined in the last few years.

Why is there more malnutrition in Gujarat?

However, the biggest question here is about the figures. The data of both National Family Health Survey (NFHS) and Nutrition Tracker are prepared in different ways, hence it is not considered correct to compare them directly. NFHS is a survey representative of the entire society, while Nutrition Tracker is based on data of children recorded in Anganwadi centres.

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According to economist Ritika Kheda, it is difficult to consider the data of Nutrition Tracker as completely reliable, as there are many technical and ground level problems in it, according to the report of The Hindu. There is pressure on Anganwadi workers to update the data and sometimes due to app or network problems the correct information is not recorded. According to Nutrition Tracker data for July 2025, 32.7 percent children in Gujarat are in the category of stunting (low height for age), 7.3 percent wasting (low weight for height) and 18.4 percent underweight (low weight for age).

What’s in the NFHS report?

At the same time, according to NFHS-5 (2019-21), 39 percent children under 5 years of age are stunted, 25.1 percent wasted and 39.7 percent underweight. That is, if seen from different parameters, the fact that about 40 percent of children are malnourished matches these figures. District level data shows that the most affected areas are those which are tribal dominated, such as Dahod, Chhota Udaipur, Narmada and Panchmahal. The cases of stunting, wasting and underweight are highest here. That is, overall, despite different data, it is clear that malnutrition remains a big challenge in Gujarat, especially its impact is more visible in tribal areas.

What could be the reason?

There could be many possible reasons behind the situation of malnutrition among children in Gujarat. Families living in tribal areas do not have adequate access to a balanced and nutritious diet, which affects the nutrition of children. In many places, the quality and accessibility of health services and Anganwadi centers also remains a challenge. Apart from this, lack of awareness among parents regarding nutrition and child care can also be an important reason. Due to poor diet and limited resources, the development of children is affected, due to which cases like stunting, wasting and underweight increase.

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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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