Rewari’s nutrition shock – 300 children severely thin, over 12,000 stunted

A startling report from anganwadi centres in Rewari has exposed a grim reality — 303 children are battling severe acute malnutrition (SAM), a life-threatening condition marked by extreme weight loss and weakened immunity.

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The crisis doesn’t end there. The data paints a disturbing picture of child health in the district, with 2,123 children moderately wasted (classified as suffering from moderate acute malnutrition), 8,047 moderately stunted and 4,332 severely stunted. As per experts, stunting reflects chronic undernutrition, often resulting in delayed physical growth and cognitive development.

In terms of weight, 3,950 children have been found moderately underweight, while 603 are severely underweight. The report also classified 1,157 children as overweight and 680 as obese. A total of 53,060 children were assessed to determine their nutritional status.

Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Meena visited an anganwadi centre in Anand Nagar on Wednesday to inspect its facilities and services. He assessed the nutritional support, early education and other basic amenities being provided to the children. Special attention was given to the nutritional supplements being provided to combat malnutrition, including protein, calcium and iron-based food products. The DC directed officials to ensure these supplements were made available regularly so that children remained physically and mentally healthy.

Meena said special attention was being given to centres where a higher number of malnourished children were registered. He informed that senior officials across districts had been tasked with adopting one anganwadi centre each. The aim was to improve infrastructure, ensure essential services and enhance child health and development outcomes.

“The goal is not just to provide nutritional support but also to improve the infrastructure and overall environment at these centres. By adopting Anganwadi centres, officers are expected to take responsibility for both improving basic amenities and working towards making all registered children malnutrition-free.”

He emphasised that the adopted anganwadi centres should be visited monthly by the officers concerned to regularly monitor progress and identify areas for improvement. He said the primary objective of such inspections was to ensure a safe, healthy and learning-friendly atmosphere for children.

During the visit, he also interacted with Anganwadi workers and provided necessary instructions to enhance child care practices. Addressing the parents present, the DC urged them to feed their children the government-supplied meals as per the recommended standards. He also encouraged families to take full advantage of the services being provided through Anganwadi centres.

He stressed that the first five years of a child’s life are critical for development, and if the right nutrition is provided during this period, malnutrition can be effectively prevented. In cases where children are already malnourished, timely and appropriate nutritional intervention can significantly improve their health.