1.40 lakh kids malnourished in State

An estimated 1.40 lakh children below five years are suffering from malnutrition in the State, Health and Family Welfare Director Dr Chaluvaraju said on Friday.

Addressing reporters, he said of 34,92,184 children enrolled in Anganawadi centres, 61,065 are being treated as acute cases of malnourishment. While 12,08,010 children are moderately nourished, 22,23,020 are normal children.The Health department has opened 16 nutrition rehabilitation centres in Raichur and Gulbarga districts, where large number of malnourishment cases have been identified. Malnourished children are being treated at these centres. Members of the National Child Rights Commission recently visited these two districts and inspected steps being taken by the government.

Health and Family Welfare department Principal Secretary E V Ramana Reddy said the government has set a target to administer anti-polio vaccine to about 74 lakh children below five years as part of the National Immunisation Day on February 19. Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda is scheduled to launch the immunisation programme at his home office “Krishna.”