title: Programmatic response to malnutrition in India, room for more than one elephant.
abstract: Programming platforms need to recognize the diversity of malnutrition epidemiology in India and choose appropriate implementation designs. With severe chronic malnutrition as the dominant epidemiologic entity, the net needs to be cast wide, focusing on food security, health care, agriculture, water and sanitation, livelihoods and womens empowerment. Community-based malnutrition treatment and prevention programs need to collaborate to complement treatment with socioeconomic and preventive interventions. Expansion of nutrition rehabilitation centers should be limited to areas/districts with high wasting. Pediatric services with nested nutrition services (including counseling) requires urgent strengthening. Continuum of Care is a weak link and requires strengthening to make both hospital and community-based models meaningful.
authors.affiliation: Center of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. Correspondence to: Dr Rajib Dasgupta, Centre of Social Medicine and Community Health, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India. dasgupta.jnu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rajib
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.forename: Dipa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Veda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yumnam
mesh_terms: D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D005523:Food Supply; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011634:Public Health