Daijiworld Media Network – Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh, Oct 22: Despite government assurances of robust nutrition schemes, the death of four-month-old Hussain Raza from Marwa village exposes the continuing crisis of child malnutrition in Madhya Pradesh. Hussain, weighing barely 2.5 kilograms—less than half the expected weight for his age—passed away late Tuesday night at the district hospital after four days in the PICU.

Hussain’s condition shocked doctors: his frail body, sunken eyes, and lack of strength to cry reflected severe neglect. He had not received a single vaccination, and a bout of pneumonia soon after his birth had drastically weakened him. Paediatrician Sandeep Dwivedi confirmed that Hussain was “severely malnourished” when first examined and was immediately admitted to the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre before being shifted to intensive care.

Following his death, the Health Department issued notices to three personnel, including the Medical Officer, a health worker, and an ASHA worker, for failing to monitor and follow up on Hussain’s case. Officials stressed that negligence would not be tolerated, but the action comes too late to save the child.

Hussain’s story is part of a troubling pattern. Similar deaths have been reported in the state in recent months, including a 15-month-old girl in Shivpuri and a one-and-a-half-year-old in Sheopur, both of whom died from malnutrition at dangerously low weights.

State data underscores the magnitude of the crisis. Between 2020 and June 2025, over 85,000 children were admitted to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres in tribal development blocks, with numbers rising from 11,566 in 2020-21 to 20,741 in 2024-25. More than one million children in Madhya Pradesh are malnourished, with 1.36 lakh classified under “severe wasting.” While the national average for severe and moderate malnutrition among children under five was 5.4 per cent in April 2025, Madhya Pradesh reported a higher 7.79 per cent, with 45 of 55 districts in the “red zone,” where over 20 per cent of children are severely underweight.

Although the state allocates Rs 980 per child at NRCs and daily allowances of Rs 8–12 per child at anganwadis, gaps in ground-level monitoring, tracking, and healthcare response continue to leave children vulnerable. Hussain Raza’s death is a stark reminder that policy promises alone are not enough to prevent such tragedies.