Early Childhood Nutrition – The First 1,000 Days
Advocacy for Healthy Diets: Nutrition Brief Series—Promoting Healthy Diets for Young Children
- English
- हिंदी
Highlights
Young children’s diets are the foundation of lifelong health—and India’s future. This first brief in UNICEF India's Advocacy for Healthy Diets series lays out why proper nutrition during the first two years of life is non-negotiable. With evidence from NFHS-5 and the latest dietary guidance, it highlights India’s progress and persistent gaps: nearly 70% of children under five are anaemic, and only 11% receive a minimum acceptable diet. The brief highlights how inadequate maternal and early childhood nutrition can lead to irreversible health, cognitive, and economic disadvantages - but also demonstrates how policy, awareness, and local food systems can turn this narrative around.
