Impact of COVID-19 on child nutrition in India: what are the budgetary implications?
Impact of COVID-19 on child nutrition in India: what are the budgetary implications?
With high levels of child undernutrition, made worse by the COVID-19 crisis, it is important for India to reassess public provisioning for nutrition. Higher allocations are needed to expand coverage and improve service delivery of important schemes such as Anganwadi Services and Mid-day Meal. Public investment is also needed to strengthen child health services and food security systems, and to make nutritious food available to the most vulnerable children. This Policy Brief highlights short-term and long-term measures for improving child nutrition, through greater and more targeted public provisioning.