Kandhamal loses 3,000 infants in 5 years due to malnutrition

The tribal-dominated Kandhamal district in Orissa has lost more than three thousand infants in the last five years due to malnutrition and the lack of awareness.

According to the state government’s own data, at least 555 newborns died in 2011-12. Of those, 80 infants died in Daringibadi block and 77 died in Phiringia block.

In 2012-13, 547 infants died in the district. 95 of those deaths were reported from Daringibadi and 80 from Phiringia.

However, the infant mortality in 2013-14 was recorded at 596. Of this, nine died in Phiringia and 55 in Kothagada. In Raikia, six infants died from malnutrition.

The number of deaths in 2014-15 was 622. 108 of these deaths were reported from Phiringia, 96 from Daringibadi, 70 from Tumudibandh and 60 from Kothagada. Phulbani recorded nine deaths.

In 2015-16, till August, the number of infant deaths shot up to 628. As many as 151 deaths were reported from district headquarters hospital, 60 from Daringibadi and 59 from Phiringia.

According to a survey done by a private organisation, the infant mortality rate in Kandhamal is staggeringly high when compared to government figures. The survey puts the numbers at 5,000 infant deaths in the last five years in the state. The survey attributed the deaths to alleged non-availability of nutritional diet to expectant mothers and poor quality food at anganwadi centres.

What makes the scenario worse is that anganwadi supervisors are not inspecting the anganwadi centres regularly. The lack of adequate manpower has also added to the misery.

As per reports, 22 Anganwadi supervisor posts are lying vacant in five blocks of Kandhamal district. As per the survey, awareness programmes do not reach the beneficiaries as little or no efforts are made at the administrative level.