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The World Breastfeeding Week, an annual celebration to promote breastfeeding is observed during the first week of August every year. On this occasion, we review the impact of the pandemic on recommended breastfeeding practices and the key policy changes to improve adherence. The review is collated from resources published on Poshan-Covid [...]

While the pandemic has receded, a review of the delivery of essential nutrition services during the 2 pandemic years can offer few insights into future course and action. In this exercise, the Poshan-Covid 19 site is a useful tool. The site updates the continuity of key maternal and child health [...]

COVID-19 undermined food security and nutrition through direct and indirect pathways which were projected to result in higher child undernutrition and mortality.1,2 It is critical that future policy direction take note of several key aspects.  The pandemic disrupted facility-based services where existing manpower was mobilized to support COVID-related services in [...]

The pandemic disrupted facility-based services with reduced access to government services and mobilization of existing manpower to support COVID related services.1 In most states of India, the anganwadi centers under ICDS Scheme were closed initially and several services were disrupted.2 Various guidelines were issued by the Government at the national [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic and related disruptions to food, health, and economic systems continues to threaten the nutrition conditions worldwide. Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on nutrition has been a challenge as information systems did not deliver regular, timely and complete data during the crisis. In India, it is critical to [...]

The onset of COVID-19 and the related economic crisis and the food and health system disruptions threatened to exacerbate undernutrition in low- and middle-income countries. By 2022, COVID-19-related disruptions were estimated to result in an additional 9.3 million wasted children and 2.6 million stunted children.1 Recent data of NFHS 5 survey (2019-21) [...]

School meals are a critical source of nutrition for millions of vulnerable children around the world. The onset of Covid-19 has led to school closures and interruptions in school feeding programs  which has exposed many children to food insecurity.1 Globally, in 2020, an estimated 39 billion in-school meals have been missed [...]

India still has high rates of child undernutrition and mortality under age 5. According to the NFHS 5 (2019-21) survey, 35.5% children under 5 years were stunted and 32.1% were underweight. The mortality rate among children under five years of age was also high― estimated to be 41.9 per 1000 [...]

The situation overview is produced by Nutrition Development Partners with support from UNICEF INDIA and Global Nutrition Cluster Technical Alliance. It serves to document and monitor the situation and needs of vulnerable women and children along with provision of information on effective nutrition sector response amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. [...]

In the Global Hunger Index 2020, India fell in the category of ‘serious hunger’, ranking 94th among 107 countries.  Given that the GHI estimate did not account for the effect of COVID-19 on hunger, child mortality and child undernutrition, the situation is likely to have worsened1. Globally, recent estimates show [...]