Noida: The district administration identified 288 severely malnourished and 2,155 moderately malnourished children in June, officials said during a district review meeting on Wednesday. The review also found that growth monitoring covered 84,557 of the district’s 85,174 registered children — over 99%.The figures were reviewed during a district nutrition committee meeting, where officials assessed the implementation of nutrition-related schemes, including Poshan Tracker, Sambhav Abhiyan 6.0, supplementary nutrition distribution and Anganwadi infrastructure.The number of severely acute malnourished (SAM) children in Gautam Budh Nagar fluctuated in the first half of the year, while moderately acute malnourished (MAM) cases have remained above the 2,000 mark since March.Data shows that SAM cases increased from 282 in Jan to a peak of 380 in March, before gradually declining to 288 in June. MAM cases, meanwhile, fell from 1,955 in Jan to 1,382 in Feb, but rose sharply to 2,148 in March and remained relatively stable thereafter, with 2,071 cases in April, 2,159 in May and 2,155 in June.According to officials, the June figures show that while the district has managed to reduce the number of severely malnourished children from its March peak, the burden of moderate acute malnutrition continues to remain consistently high, underscoring the need for sustained nutrition interventions and close monitoring.In Oct 2025, TOI reported that a little less than half the children under six years of age, who were identified as severely acute malnourished (SAM) in June that year, showed improvement by Sept 30. A total of 349 of 789 children were found in much better health — marking 40% improvement. The district had also climbed from 72nd to 53rd in the state’s malnutrition index.Acute malnutrition is broadly classified into SAM (Severe Acute Malnutrition) and MAM (Moderate Acute Malnutrition) based on a child’s weight-for-height or mid-upper arm circumference.Officials said efforts would be stepped up to improve maternal and child nutrition, ensure timely enrolment of eligible beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, conduct all Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Day sessions, and maintain uninterrupted supplementary nutrition distribution.District magistrate Medha Roopam directed officials to intensify nutrition interventions under the ongoing Sambhav Abhiyan 6.0. “There should be no laxity in the distribution of supplementary nutrition, and all activities under Sambhav Abhiyan must be implemented effectively,” the DM said during the meeting.The DM said that upgradation of 83 Anganwadi centres under Saksham Anganwadi 2.0 is underway. Officials have also been asked to prioritise maternal nutrition in July and nutrition for infants aged up to six months in Aug as part of the campaign’s monthly themes, Roopam added.Officials also reviewed the functioning of the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre, where severely malnourished children with medical complications are admitted. The centre recorded an 87% bed occupancy rate in June, officials said.Supplementary nutrition prepared under revised recipes, including Shishu Amrit, Bal Pushtikar and Sampoorna Matru Aahar, is being distributed in line with the National Food Security Act norms. GPS-enabled vehicles, QR codes and facial recognition technology are being used to monitor supply, with 80.19% of eligible beneficiaries receiving rations through the facial recognition system, as of July 21, officials added.Funds to upgrade Anganwadi centres have been released to the rural engineering department, and work is underway on Building as Learning Aid (BaLA) wall paintings, nutrition gardens and rainwater harvesting systems.Several centres are also being equipped with modern facilities through CSR support from HCL, CRY and the Paytm Foundation, officials added.
