Answers sought over malnutrition deaths
At least 25 Madhya Pradesh children died over two weeks
A malnourished child in Madhya Pradesh
- ucanews.com reporter, Bhopal
- India
- September 19, 2012
A state human rights body has demanded the Madhya Pradesh government explain why at least 25 children have died in the space of two weeks, allegedly as a result of malnutrition.
Justice A.K. Saxena, acting chairman of the Madhya Pradesh human rights commission, yesterday directed the state government to conduct a study and present a report within seven days.
The commission says the government needs to explain the causes that led to the sudden death of so many children.
At least 23 children died in Sheopur district and two in Shivpuri district between the end of August and the start of September due to malnutrition, according to a report by Sahyog, a children’s NGO.
“The children died of malnutrition because government agencies failed to supply them with nutritional food,” Sahyog spokesperson Uma Chaturvedi told ucanews.com.
In a bid to eradicate malnutrition in the state, the government provides food through special childcare and mothercare centers.
Chaturvedi said her NGO conducted a survey in the two districts after suspected cases of malnutrition deaths came to light.
She said the death toll could be higher if a proper survey of all the state’s districts was conducted.
The state government has, however, attributed the deaths to seasonal diseases, dismissing the NGO’s findings. Dnyaneshwar Patil, Sheopur district collector said the children died from diarrhea and other seasonal afflictions.
However, 15 seriously malnourished children are undergoing treatment at the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre in Sheopur district, Chaturvedi said.
She said this indicates that the children who died recently were suffering from malnutrition.
Kantilal Bhuria, state president of the opposition Congress Party, painted an even grimmer picture, alleging that over 100,000 children have died since the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state in 2003.
Rampant corruption coupled with negligence has deprived children of much needed food, he said.
He urged state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan to order an independent inquiry into all the deaths.
UNICEF, in its 2011 report, said that high levels of malnutrition and lack of immunization programs in Madhya Pradesh have made children in the state the most vulnerable in India.
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State govt under fire over malnutrition deaths
Justice A.K. Saxena, acting chairman of the Madhya Pradesh human rights commission, yesterday directed the state government to conduct a study and present a report within seven days.
The commission says the government needs to explain the causes that led to the sudden death of so many children.
At least 23 children died in Sheopur district and two in Shivpuri district between the end of August and the start of September due to malnutrition, according to a report by Sahyog, a children’s NGO.
“The children died of malnutrition because government agencies failed to supply them with nutritional food,” Sahyog spokesperson Uma Chaturvedi told ucanews.com.
In a bid to eradicate malnutrition in the state, the government provides food through special childcare and mothercare centers.
Chaturvedi said her NGO conducted a survey in the two districts after suspected cases of malnutrition deaths came to light.
She said the death toll could be higher if a proper survey of all the state’s districts was conducted.
The state government has, however, attributed the deaths to seasonal diseases, dismissing the NGO’s findings. Dnyaneshwar Patil, Sheopur district collector said the children died from diarrhea and other seasonal afflictions.
However, 15 seriously malnourished children are undergoing treatment at the Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre in Sheopur district, Chaturvedi said.
She said this indicates that the children who died recently were suffering from malnutrition.
Kantilal Bhuria, state president of the opposition Congress Party, painted an even grimmer picture, alleging that over 100,000 children have died since the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state in 2003.
Rampant corruption coupled with negligence has deprived children of much needed food, he said.
He urged state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan to order an independent inquiry into all the deaths.
UNICEF, in its 2011 report, said that high levels of malnutrition and lack of immunization programs in Madhya Pradesh have made children in the state the most vulnerable in India.
Related reports
State govt under fire over malnutrition deaths
