in today’s fast developing world we have forgotten the most important thing to the...
TRANSCRIPT
CHILD RIGHTS: NUTRITION AND HEALTH
In today’s fast developing world we have forgotten the most important thing to the world,children.We come across many cases of deaths of children but we rarely pay attention to such news.Its high time we took notice and prevent such acts.Today we shall take a look at Rights of Children regarding Nutrition and Health .
RIGHT TO SURVIVAL
The Convention on Rights of Children states the Right to Live is applicable to every child
It is the Government’s duty to ensure that its nation’s children survive and become healthy
NUTRITION
Every child whether born rich or poor,in any caste or creed has the right to proper nutrition
Nutrition simply means “The process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth”
Lack of nutrition is the a major cause for stunted growth in children
Children are not able to get proper nutrition due various causes such as poverty,increasing food prices and dietary habits
Lack of Nutrition is also known as “Malnutrition”
MALNUTRITON
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess (too high an intake), or in the wrong proportions.
Malnutrition occurs not only in poor countries but also in fast developing nations like ours.
Malnutrition is a global crisis which has hampered the growth of millions of children.
The World Health Organization(WHO) considers malnutrition as a major threat to world health
The effects of malnutrition are very severe and lead to growth disorders.
Malnutrition is the cause of about 5 million child deaths every year!So many innocent lives lost all because they couldn’t get proper nutrition.This tells us how grave the situation is.We shall now look into malnutrition along with its causes,effects and prevention
CAUSES OF MALNUTRITION
Malnutrition is not something that has occurred suddenly.It is the result of various factors that are a result of todays lifestyle and politics.Some major factors causing malnutrition are:
1. Population Explosion2. Lack of nutrtious food3. Poor feeding habits4. Over priced food due to inflation5. Constant infections like diarrheoa,jaundice etc
Population explosion causes scarcity of food products which the poor people cannot procure
New hybrid varieties of crop are produced which give more yield but at the cost of their nutritious value.Therefore less nutrients are obtained from the same amount of food.As not everyone can afford more expensive varieties,again malnutrition is caused.
Poor feeding habits also play a important role.Today’s children like to binge on junk food which are filled with nothing but empty calories in the form of saturated fats and sugars.
Government policies and taxes often cause the price of food grains to skyrocket leaving the poor in lurch to fill their stomachs
Constant illnesses affect the child’s body and it can no longer absorb nutrients from food effectively.
The common scene we see here is that the poor are the worst affected.They have no resources to fill their stomach let alone have nutritious food
EFFECTS OF MALNUTRION
The effects of malnutrition can range from mild to life threatening .Some of them are harmless but the severe ones can kill.Some of the effects are:
1. Fatigue2. Nausea3. Dizziness4. Very low immunity against infections5. Dry scaly skin6. Hair loss7. Anemia8. Memory loss
The more harmful effects are; Learning disabilities Unhealthy weight loss Stunted growth Weakness Hypokalemia- potassium deficiency Hemorrhage- vitamin K deficiency Behavioural DisordersWe often see images of children with twig like limbs
and a large belly and head.Such disfigurements are not uncommon in those affected by malnutrition.
PREVENTION OF MALNUTRITION
Following are the ways to prevent malnutrition: Educating women Improve diet Replenish deficient nutrients through high
energy foods like peanut butter or. Ready-to-use Therapeutic Food
There aren’t much methods to prevent or treat malnutrition exept creating awareness and fullfill missing nutrients
HEALTH
The right to good health come under the Right To Survival and health is key to one’s survival
Children are one of the most vulnerable of all humans.Their immune system is not strong enough and they are more likely to contract infections.This risk is however most high in child labourers
Sadly it’s a fact that India is one of the hubs for child labour.Thousands are employed in dingy factories and warehouses all over India doing harmful jobs such as firework making,zari work etc.This evil has been going on for a very long time and has a very adverse effect on the children.
The health hazard due to child labour are; Rapid skeletal growth Hearing loss Greater absorption of chemicals Stunted growth Premature growth of organs and tissues Allergies Those working in agrilculture and industries are
exposed to dangerous pesticides and chemicals. Being forced to live in cramped dirty rooms,there is
high chance of infections
Nutrition to the top
% of infants with low birthweight, 1998-2005*
30
% of children (1996-2005*) who are: exclusively breastfed (<6 months)
37
% of children (1996-2005*) who are: breastfed with complementary food (6-9 months)
44
% of children (1996-2005*) who are: still breastfeeding (20-23 months)
66
% of under-fives (1996-2005*) suffering from: underweight, moderate & severe
47
% of under-fives (1996-2005*) suffering from: underweight, severe
18
% of under-fives (1996-2005*) suffering from: wasting, moderate & severe
16
% of under-fives (1996-2005*) suffering from: stunting, moderate & severe
46
Vitamin A supplementation coverage rate (6-59 months), 2004
51
% of households consuming iodized salt, 1998-2005*
57
SOME FACTS TO CONSIDER
World’s 40% of severly malnourished live in India 47 percent of India’s children below the age of three
years are malnourished At least half of Indian infant deaths are related to
malnutrition, often associated with infectious diseases.
Damages caused by malnourishment are irreversible In developing countries 1 in 15 will die before
reaching the age of 5 years In India, close to one million newborns die each year
during the first month of life
Malnourishment is a global evil and must be stopped at any cost.It is not only killing millions of infants every year but also taking away bright and vibrant futures.Thousands of parents watch helplessly as their child dies a slow painful death right in front of their eyes .Creating awareness is the key to eradicate malnourishment