THESE INDEPENDENCE DAY, I DEMAND INDEPENDENCE FROM HUNGER

If a child is born in India, what is his or her future ?. Will he or she grow into a healthy individual. Will they get enough food to fill their stomach and nourish themselves. Will they be blessed with good health so that they in near future contribute to the growth of our country. The answer to such question in several cases is a straight forward NO. And why it is so, here are some reasons that are degrading the health of the future of our country, OUR CHILDREN :

1. In India 84% of all health care expenditure is out of pocket. This places a great number of families at risk of falling into poverty due to high health expenses

2. Every third child in India is malnourished. Infant and child mortality rates still remain very high.

3. There are almost no services or programmes for children with mental health issues. Children with disabilities, HIV/AIDS and mental disorders are stigmatized and hence have little access to health facilities.

4. India has one of the poorest health records in the world with the highest TB prevalence, every three out of four children have anaemia.

5.According to UNICEF India over two million children die every year from preventable diseases.

We talk about making India a super power. We boast about all the development happening around us. We feel proud of our economic growth, of our technology, of our Industries, of Tata's and birla's. We feel so proud. But in this Developing India live children who are malnourished, Children who are starving. In a developing India, lives a hungry and unhealthy India that demands our attention.  Even if after 71 endence, hunger still persists in our country. Then its a collective failure of all the governments who ruled this country.

With all these basic issues still prevailing in our country, how can we say that our country is developing? When children born in our country have to face several health problems that can be prevented. Due to lack of proper nourishment, they grow weak. Due to lack of proper health facilities, they fall prey to several diseases. Due to the lack of hygienic surroundings, due to lack of proper drainage system, they get infected with diseases like cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea.


" A HUNGRY MAN CANNOT FIGHT A BATTLE,
AND A UNHEALTHY MAN CANNOT WIN A BATTLE."

so if we keep our children hungry, they cannot fight the battle of life. And if our children are unhealthy and malnourished, they cannot win the battle of life.  

We cannot Imagine a Developed India with weak citizens. Nourish our children, make them stronger for a better future. Fill their plate with Food and God will surely bless this country. 

This post is a part of the #Vote4Children Blog-a-thon on Youth Ki Awaaz. Find out more at: http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/vote4children