Poverty and malnutrition create a vicious cycle, adversely affecting human capital formation. What steps can be taken to break the cycle?

United Nationsdefinespovertyas “a state in which an individual or grouplacks the financial resources to meet their basic needsfor a minimum standard of living.”WHOdefinesmalnutritionas “the condition that results from eating a diet in which one or morenutrients are either not enough or too much,causing health problems.

## How Poverty and Malnutrition Create a Vicious Cycle:

• Economic Barriers to Nutrition:Low-income households often lack access to nutritious food due to financial constraints, exacerbating malnutrition.


• Impacts of Malnutrition on Poverty: Eg. ASER reports show higher dropout rates and lower literacy levelsamong malnourished children in India.


• Healthcare Costs of Malnutrition: Eg.Malnutrition-related diseases increase healthcare expenditure, limiting resources for other essentials like education.


• High Child Mortality:68.2% of death of children below five years old are caused by malnutrition.


• Educational Limitations Due to Cognitive Delays: Eg.TheASER reportindicates that malnourished children are more likely to drop out of school.


• Productivity Loss and Economic Growth: Eg. The World Bank estimatesthatmalnutrition costs between 5% and 11% of GDP in regions like Africa and Asia.


• Social Exclusion:Malnourished individuals are often socially excluded due to their reduced economic and social contributions, further deepening poverty.


• Intergenerational Transfer of Poverty:Malnourished parents are less able to provide for their children, who then grow up in poverty, continuing the cycle.

## Steps to Break the Cycle:

• Innovative PDS reformslike distributinge-food couponssimilar toe-Rupias experimented inAssam,home delivery of ration materialandPDS reforms in accordance with recommendations of Shanta Kumar Committeewill help reduce both poverty and hunger problem.


• Nutrition Programs: Strengthen schemes like POSHAN Abhiyaan and the Mid-Day MealScheme to ensure access to nutritious food, especially for children and pregnant women.Eg. Tamil Naduhas introduced Breakfast inMid-Day Meal


• Women Empowerment: Eg. Kerala’s Kudumbashree program empowers women,enhancing their role in family health and economic decision-making.


• Economic Empowerment: Expand livelihood programs likeMGNREGAto provide stable incomes, improving access to food and healthcare.


• Community Nutrition Education:Educating communities on proper nutrition and food safety can help address malnutrition at the grassroots level.Brazil’s Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) programhas successfully reduced hunger through community-driven nutrition education.

Brazil’s Bolsa Família Programfinancial aid to low-income families, conditional on their children attending school and getting regular health check-ups, including vaccinations.Stuntingreduced by 13%,Extreme povertydropped by 15%.

AsMark Winne states,“We cannot end hunger unless we end poverty.” Thus, Only by sustained efforts can we regain progress towards goals of Zero poverty(SDG-1) and Zero Hunger(SDG -2).

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