INDIA

India houses the world's largest population. It's heartening to learn about the decrease in child stunting in India by 20% from 2006-2018. However, it's important to recognize that India still faces a significant challenge in addressing this issue, as it bears one-third of the world's stunting cases. It's clear that there's still much work to be done in supporting the health and well-being of children across the country.

CULTURAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC DIVERSITY

Apart from maternal and child health factors, the home environment where the child lives, with the provision of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene practices, also accounts for up to 50% of child malnutrition, leading to stunted growth. Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh bear 50% of India's stunting burden.

India is a nation of vast diversity. Various socio-cultural conditions impact a child's development in a contextual-specific manner.
Differential approaches to administration and governance across different states in the country create variations in conditions concerning child development.
These differences also influence maternal nutrition and education, diet, hygiene, age at marriage, antenatal care, and other factors based on the state's capacity for growth and points of action.
Traditional beliefs surrounding nutrition intake and the quality of care provided to a pregnant and breastfeeding mother also play crucial roles in childcare.

Home visits enable family members who purchase and prepare food to contribute to the food environment assessments.

OUR WORK IN INDIA

To work in synchronization with the Indian landscape, the hub works at the grassroots level, engaging the Anganwadi workers and community members, and conducting research with the scientific experts in the country.

Intervention Studied:

Market-based intervention

Will daily supplementation with one egg in infants starting at 6 months of age and continuing for one year reduce stunting and improve cognition at 2 years of age?