Children in Tribal Areas are a At Risk of Malnutrition

Abstract

The area where tribals live is still remote. Due to inadequate transport facilities and lack of health facilities, tribals cannot take full advantage of them. Healthy food cannot be obtained due to insufficient means of employment. This causes malnutrition of mother and child. The problem of unsanitary, impure water is always felt in the places where tribals live. In hilly areas like Melghat, there is a big problem of water. At such times, these tribal women are wandering wild for water. Improper farming practices and misplanning of crops do not yield the expected income. Due to lack of health and education, the born baby is neglected. As tribal women are more addicted to alcohol and tobacco, pregnant women consume these things. As a result, the child born is malnourished. Not only this, there is a lot of superstition among tribals. When a child gets a disease, it is treated by a doctor. A child's illness is completely ignored as he is being treated by a doctor. And in such a condition the child dies. Tribals live in the hilly areas of Jivati and Korpana talukas in our region. In those areas, a girl gets married when she is in seventh to eighth grade. Children are also married off at a very young age and the children born to those couples are malnourished. Therefore, malnutrition increases. If the serious problem of malnutrition among tribals is not addressed, it is necessary to take timely measures as the children born to them will perish and their number will decrease. They are given nutritious food through Anganwadi, but due to corrupt policies, it is not seen that they are getting enough benefits from the tribals. Therefore, the rate of malnutrition increases and child Death occurs.