Child malnutrition in Lahul and Spiti
Lahul and Spiti ranks 8th of 12 districts in Himachal Pradesh for child stunting, highest first, below Himachal Pradesh's 31%. It rose 5.5 points since NFHS-4.
Lahul and Spiti against Himachal Pradesh and India
| Measure | Lahul and Spiti | NFHS-4 | Himachal Pradesh | India |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children under 5 stunted (too short for age) | 28.5% | 23% | 30.8% | 35.5% |
| Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height) | 16.3% | 20.8% | 17.4% | 19.3% |
| Children under 5 severely wasted | 10.3% | 7.3% | 6.9% | 7.7% |
| Children under 5 underweight | 18.4% | 16.1% | 25.5% | 32.1% |
| Children under 5 overweight | 7.4% | 5% | 5.7% | 3.4% |
| Children 6-59 months anaemic | 91% | 94.7% | 55.4% | 67.1% |
| Women 15-49 anaemic | 82.1% | 83.2% | 53% | 57% |
| Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5) | 9.9% | 9.6% | 13.9% | 18.7% |
| Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet | 19.7% | 9.8% | 19% | 11.3% |
Child stunting in Himachal Pradesh's districts
Frequently asked questions
What is the malnutrition rate in Lahul and Spiti?
In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 29% of children under five in Lahul and Spiti district were stunted, 16% wasted and 18% underweight. Stunting is below Himachal Pradesh's 31% and India's 36%.
Is child malnutrition falling in Lahul and Spiti?
Stunting in Lahul and Spiti rose from 23% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 29% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 5.5 points. District estimates come from a few hundred children each, so a change of a few points can be chance.
How many children are anaemic in Lahul and Spiti?
91% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Lahul and Spiti were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 82% of women aged 15 to 49.
Is there malnutrition data for my town or neighbourhood in Lahul and Spiti?
No survey publishes child nutrition below the district, so every town, village and neighbourhood in Lahul and Spiti shares these figures. The local anganwadi keeps growth records for the children it serves.
Source: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21, IIPS and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, district factsheet, tabulated by pratapvardhan/NFHS-5 (CC BY 4.0). All of Himachal Pradesh.