India to curb malnutrition by 2015

The Indian Health Minister thinks that India will be able to eradicate the rampant problem of malnutrition by 2015. India is home to millions of underfed children despite its flourishing economy. A government survey released this year found that 46 percent of children under the age of three years were malnourished. The Health Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss said that in his opinion, malnourishment in India will be a thing of the past, by 2015. Speaking earlier at the launch of a government programme to reduce anaemia in children, Dr. Ramadoss slammed India's record of providing healthcare to its women and children. He said that on one side, we have healthy economic growth of 9.2 percent and are aiming for 10 percent next year and, on the other side, we have health statistics that are among the worst in the world. The National Family Health Survey found that the percentage of women and children in India who were anaemic had increased to 56 percent and 79 percent, respectively, since the late 1990s, and is a cause of concern for the government. He said the government, among a package of new measures, would intensify deworming among children and provide them with iron tablets to prevent anaemia as well as increase the number of health workers in rural areas to detect and help malnourished infants.