Three year old Neeraj Adivasi cries as he sits on weighing scales at the Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre at Shivpuri in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Malnourished and wasted he weighs the same as a healthy three month old baby. Despite 15 years of economic growth in India the incidence of child malnutrition has barely changed -- 46 percent of children under 5 in India are malnourished: twice the rate of sub Saharan Africa. A report released by the Institute for Development Studies (Britain) said a mixture of poor governance , the caste system dis-empowerment of women and superstition are preventing children from getting the nutrition they need, condemning another generation to brain damage, low earning potential and early death. At the moment 3000 children a day die in India as a result of malnutrition. Now experts are warning failure to address the problem will afffect India's ability to sustain its economic growth.
I am a 42 year old editorial and commercial photographer in New Delhi , India. Over my career I have worked for The Australian newspaper for 25 years as well as being published in international titles such as The Times, The National, South China Morning Post and The Toronto Star.
