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Reducing stunting among less than five years children in Nagaland, India: a lives saved tool projection from 2018-2025
Authors: Lincoln Priyadarshi Choudhury
Source: International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 6(11); DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20195077
Topic(s): Nutrition
Country: Asia
  India
Published: NOV 2019
Abstract: Background: Malnutrition is one of the key public health challenges for the state of Nagaland, India. In the backdrop of the global call for a reduction in malnutrition, this paper explores the feasibility of the state reaching the global targets reducing stunting among less than six years age children by 2025. Methods: Data from Census, National Family Health Survey were primarily used. Based on published literature, ten interventions that influence stunting were selected. The lives saved tool module of Spectrum software was used for analysis. This paper examined the effect of above interventions on stunting among zero to five-year old children. Three different scenarios with different coverage combinations were created for the years 2012 to 2025 and compared with global targets. Results: The analysis found that in none of the three scenarios the state will be achieving the global target. The projected stunting levels in 2025 will vary between 3-21% increase from the baseline figures in 2012. Though with increased coverage, the increasing trend of stunting could be reversed by 2025. Reaching the global target of 40% reduction in stunting by 2015 from the 2012 levels may take more time than the year 2025. Conclusions: Long-term programs with specific targets and processes need to be developed to address malnutrition. The scale of interventions, translation of behaviour change interventions at the household level and addition of new elements to an integrated program may achieve a better result. Keywords Lives saved tool, Nutrition, India, Policy
Web: https://www.ijcmph.com/index.php/ijcmph/article/download/5437/3513