The Niti Aayog has formulated a new nutritional strategy, which looks to tie up the various determinants of nutrition — such as heath services, food, drinking water and sanitation.

While announcing the new strategy, Alok Kumar, Adviser, Niti Aayog, said India pays an income penalty of 9 to 10 per cent because a large percentage of its workforce was stunted during childhood as a result of under-nutrition, making it imperative for the country to deal with this on a war footing.

“The nutrition strategy envisages a framework wherein the four proximate determinants of nutrition – uptake of health services, food, drinking water & sanitation and income & livelihoods – work together to accelerate decline of under-nutrition in India. Currently, there is also a lack of real time measurement of these determinants, which reduces our capacity for targeted action among the most vulnerable mothers and children,” the think-tank said in a statement.

The strategy, according to Niti Aayog, would not only address supply-side issues, but also focus on community mobilisation.

“The aim is to ensure that states create customised state/ district action plans to address local needs and challenges. This is especially relevant in view of enhanced resources available with the states to prioritise focussed interventions with a greater role for panchayats and urban local bodies,” Niti Aayog said.