Breaking the cycle of Malnutrition

The region under World Vision India's Melghat Area Development Programme (ADP) in Maharashtra has for long witnessed children dying due to malnutrition and its related sicknesses. For a decade of its existence, Melghat ADP has being grappling with this issue. With the support of the local health department, World Vision has been working towards reducing malnutrition by addressing the livelihood aspect of the community.

The thrust of the ADP now is to urgently break the “Life cycle of Malnutrition”. Studies have revealed that an under-weight mother bears children who are under-nourished. An under-weight or a stunted adolescent mother who is not given good nutritious food does not gain weight and as a result gives birth to baby who is also under-weight. This vicious cycle gets repeated if is not broken somewhere. 

To break this vicious cycle the project has devised a plan. It will be targeting about 1000 women who are pregnant and lactating mothers till the time their babies reach 6 months. While encouraging exclusive breast feeding for the babies till they attain 6 months, the project will also be giving supplementary nutrition to the mothers.

Melghat ADP is one of the 25 projects where the ‘Jump Start’ health initiative has been in implementation within World Vision India. Emphasizing on the health and nutritional requirement of pregnant mothers and children till they reach two years, the ‘Jump Start’ initiative is one way of breaking the Life cycle of Malnutrition.