State Government Data shows 51,306 Children Across Eight Gujarat Districts Suffering From Malnutrition
51,306 children in Gujarat suffer malnutrition, new cases persist despite interventions.
Over 51,000 children across eight districts in Gujarat are currently suffering from malnutrition, according to data presented by the state government in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly on Friday. The figures were shared in a written reply by the State Minister for Women and Child Welfare in response to questions raised by MLAs from the Indian National Congress.
The data shows that out of the total affected children, 42,477 are underweight, while 8,829 are classified as severely underweight. Vadodara tops the list with 12,766 malnourished children, including 10,480 underweight and 2,286 severely underweight cases. Over the past year, 1,527 children in Vadodara recovered from malnutrition.
Bhavnagar follows closely with 11,648 affected children, comprising 9,705 underweight and 1,943 severely underweight. In the same period, government interventions helped 5,591 children in Bhavnagar overcome malnutrition. Surendranagar reported 7,913 malnourished children, with 5,091 recoveries in the past year.
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While some districts show notable improvements, others highlight ongoing challenges. Amreli, for instance, has 5,237 malnourished children, of whom 4,320 are underweight and 917 severely underweight. Despite 1,204 recoveries, the district also recorded 222 new cases, indicating gaps in nutritional outreach and early intervention. Similarly, Morbi saw 4,858 children affected, with 711 recoveries but 50 new cases emerging.
Smaller districts like Botad and Porbandar report relatively fewer cases. Botad has 2,583 malnourished children, with 3,674 recoveries during the year, while Porbandar has 666 children affected and 654 recoveries. These figures suggest that even as recovery programs are yielding results, new cases continue to appear in certain regions.
The overall data underscores that while government interventions have successfully helped thousands of children recover from malnutrition, a significant portion remains vulnerable, highlighting the need for continued nutritional programs, monitoring, and early intervention across Gujarat.
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