Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
NGOs allege 125 malnutrition deaths in MP
Malnutrition is widespread in Madhya Pradesh and the reasons for it are well known. Most children belong to abysmally poor tribal families whose daily earnings -- when they are able to find work as labourers -- rarely cross Rs 50-70
Severe malnutrition has claimed the lives of around 125 children under six years of age in four districts of Madhya Pradesh since May 2008, say representatives of non-government organisations (NGOs).
The state government maintains that the child deaths were unrelated to malnutrition and were caused by diseases like pneumonia, viral fever and diarrhoea.
According to a petition filed recently in the Supreme Court by Right to Food Campaign, 64 Bhil tribal children have died of malnutrition in Satna district within the past four months. Similarly, Spandan, which works among the Korku tribe in Khalwa block of Khandwa district, has reported the deaths of 39 children in the past 45 days.
The Saharia Mukti Morcha, which works with the impoverished Saharia tribe in Shivpuri and Sheopur districts, said 16 children had succumbed to malaria in Shivpuri and five in Sheopur over the last few days, because their immunity was destroyed by severe malnutrition.
Right to Food Campaign?s Sachin Jain and Prashant Dubey said they had arrived at the figure of 125 deaths from malnutrition after a two-month intensive survey as part of their work to ensure food security to people in the state.
...
http://infochangeindia.org/poverty/news/ngos-allege-125-malnutrition-deaths-in-mp.html
Malnutrition is widespread in Madhya Pradesh and the reasons for it are well known. Most children belong to abysmally poor tribal families whose daily earnings -- when they are able to find work as labourers -- rarely cross Rs 50-70
Severe malnutrition has claimed the lives of around 125 children under six years of age in four districts of Madhya Pradesh since May 2008, say representatives of non-government organisations (NGOs).
The state government maintains that the child deaths were unrelated to malnutrition and were caused by diseases like pneumonia, viral fever and diarrhoea.
According to a petition filed recently in the Supreme Court by Right to Food Campaign, 64 Bhil tribal children have died of malnutrition in Satna district within the past four months. Similarly, Spandan, which works among the Korku tribe in Khalwa block of Khandwa district, has reported the deaths of 39 children in the past 45 days.
The Saharia Mukti Morcha, which works with the impoverished Saharia tribe in Shivpuri and Sheopur districts, said 16 children had succumbed to malaria in Shivpuri and five in Sheopur over the last few days, because their immunity was destroyed by severe malnutrition.
Right to Food Campaign?s Sachin Jain and Prashant Dubey said they had arrived at the figure of 125 deaths from malnutrition after a two-month intensive survey as part of their work to ensure food security to people in the state.
...
http://infochangeindia.org/poverty/news/ngos-allege-125-malnutrition-deaths-in-mp.html