Nutritional Status of Women and Children in North Eastern States

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the nutritional and health status and patterns of children and women in eight North Eastern States using health and nutritional indicators. It also looks into the economic and development indicators to find any impact on nutritional indicators. North East India has witnessed gradual economic progress over the years, but the fruits of growth and development have not been reflected in the nutritional status among children and women. The study finds, with the help of a conceptual model of malnutrition and a composite table of all the parameters, that Sikkim which is a small state in the North Eastern Region (NER) has had the best performance currently as well as in the past in terms of women and children nutritional parameters. It has also exhibited positive results in terms of literacy, poverty and unemployment. In contrast, Assam, which is a large state in the North East with the biggest share of GSDP from NER, has not been able to utilise its economic growth to better the health and nutrition among its women and children.