A low-income family living in rural India sits down to a nutritious home-cooked meal. The mother attended nutrition courses led by her local Angawadi worker during pregnancy and so understands the importance of proper nutrition, both for herself as well as her children. Each of her three children were breastfed, and she buys fortified products when she can. She includes lots of fruits and vegetables in her family’s diet. Unfortunately, however, her children have diarrhea often and are regularly sick. Despite her best efforts they remain
Read MoreIndia is a world leader on many fronts; unfortunately malnutrition is one. “Home to one-third of the world’s undernourished children,” India has some of the highest global incidences of stunting, wasting, and underweight children. Though the country has made great strides towards improving nutrition through innovations in micro-nutrient fortification and food processing to combat hidden hunger, nutrition is a socioeconomically complex issue requiring an equally well designed solution. Research suggests that the “first 1,000 days following conception” are the most critical developmental phase, and “poor maternal
Read MoreEvery child fortunate enough to grow up in financial comfort has been scolded, “There are poor and starving children in the streets, now finish your dinner!” In this narrative, poverty and hunger go hand in hand, which explains the significant money spent globally on food aid. In 2012 alone, the U.S spent $1.45 billion on food aid in the developing world; a large part of which was delivered as food on the ground to developing countries. This type of food aid is based on what
Read MoreClose your eyes and imagine your last hospital visit. If your medical experiences have been anything like mine, your doctor’s office is equipped with instruments, tools, and a computer. Your medical file is stored in a digital database for easy retrieval and review, allowing your doctor to provide continuous and consistent care. Sadly though, this is far from the reality in thousands of India’s “digitally dark” villages, even despite the availability of technology. India’s IT revolution is only reaching some and this poses a significant challenge for
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