Epidemic of undernutrition during COVID-19 pandemic

Swayam Pragyan Parida; Vikas Bhatia; Prajna Paramita Giri; Binod K. Behera; G. Alekhya; Prajna Choudhary

doi:10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20210903

Authors

Swayam Pragyan Parida Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Vikas Bhatia AIIMS Bibinagar, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Prajna Paramita Giri Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Binod K. Behera Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
G. Alekhya Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Prajna Choudhary Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20210903

Keywords:

Undernutrition, COVID-19, Food security

Abstract

Undernutrition continues to be a major public health challenge for ages. Under-five age children are still at risk of undernutrition even though there exist many policies and programs at various levels. The lower–middle-income countries (LMIC) struggle hard to combat the undernutrition epidemic. The unprecedented advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the existing undernutrition scenario. This article reviews the burden and impact of the COVID-19 on undernutrition among children. Necessary measures have to be taken to mitigate the crisis and thereby reduce the risks due to morbidity and mortality related to undernutrition. A manual search of relevant data has been taken from the website of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Ministry Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), government of India. (GOI). A search of relevant publications was done through electronic databases such as PUBMED.

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