9,27,606 Severely Acute Malnourished Children Identified: Centre

A total of 9.27 lakh severely acute malnourished children between the age of six months and six years have been identified in the country till November 2020, the government told Parliament.

Over 40% of such children were found in Uttar Pradesh alone.

"As per ICDS-RRS (Rapid Reporting System) Portal, as on 30th November, 2020, 9,27,606 severely acute malnourished (SAM) children (6 months - 6 years) have been identified in the country, out of which 3,98,359 are from the State of Uttar Pradesh," Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani told Rajya Sabha in response to a question.

Despite the staggering numbers more than 40% of funds released to State governments since the launch of Poshan Abhiyaan in 2017 remains unutilised, government data shows.