Food-insecure Indians eating less, skipping meal: Govt study

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 26

The lockdown has triggered food insecurity across Indian households, with people eating less than before and even skipping meals, shows a Health Ministry survey. Nearly 44 per cent of those reached for a response were either curtailing their daily food intake or skipping one meal.

People attributed people’s behaviour to “fear of the disease and uncertainty about the future with no clarity on either the span or the scope of the lockdown.” The survey also showed that despite the government making efforts to reach people with relief and supplies, access to such relief was not universal.

Only 31 per cent of the respondents reported receiving relief in either cash or kind,” the ministry survey said, explaining the recent essential supply chain relaxations by the MHA which continues to review the supply status. On people’s knowledge of Covid-19 symptoms, the survey found the respondents wanting. Only 35 per cent were aware of three key symptoms (fever, cough and short breath), hinting at their poor ability to distinguish between common cold or flu and Covid-19.

As many as 27 per cent could not identify any of the symptoms and 33 per cent did not know pre-symptomatic people could be carrying the virus.

Millions of kids at risk

Millions of children are in danger of missing life-saving vaccines against measles, diphtheria and polio due to disruptions in immunisation service amid the spread of Covid-19, the UNICEF has warned. With disruptions in immunisation services, the fates of millions of young lives “hang in the balance”. pti