Mumbai

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Mumbai’s vast slum areas inhabit thousands of children affected by poor access to water, lack of food and proper nutrition, health, and hygiene. Unfortunately, the early signs of malnutrition often go undetected. An analysis reveals that children under five dwelling in these areas face stunted growth in height and weight compared to healthy children of the same age. The difference is as high as 51%. We repeated this nutrition survey in the slums of Govandi in 2015 to assess the level of malnutrition. We found that one in every four children was severely affected. The wasting levels were as high as 22.9%. Poor maternal health, vulnerability to infections from exposure to the largest dump yard, and lack of knowledge on child feeding practices are the key factors contributing to the high rate of undernutrition among children in the slums of Mumbai.

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