National Family Health Survey data puts 20 per cent of Indian children under five years old as wasted (acutely malnourished) and 48 per cent as stunted (chronically malnourished). The figures may give some respite to children from Jharkhand that might not have fared much better than the national average, but hovering at least around it.

As many as 10 districts, out of 14 surveyed by HUNGaMA in the State, have been found better than the national average of children stunted or chronically malnourished.

Godda is best among the lot with only 39.09 per cent of children figuring in the important index showing health of overall society. Godda is followed by Palamau, Chatra and Koderma.

The HUNGaMA surveyed nutrition status of 1 09,093 children across the country under five years of age. Data collection took place between October 2010 and February 2011 in 3,360 villages across nine States. It presents underweight, stunting and wasting data at the district level, last done in 2004 reporting only underweight estimates.

The survey reveals that figures of actually malnourished or wasted children, is quite low in Koderma (8.34 %), Godda (12.02 %) and Sahibgunj (12.16 %).

It is against the national figure that shows as much as 20 per cent children falling under this category. Though, both the figures are higher in comparison to good performer Kerala. Percentage of wasted children below five years of age is 10.35 in Thiruvanantapuram whereas 16.84 per cent of them were found to be stunted.

Hundred focus districts from six states i.e. Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were selected for the survey. "These States have, in many ways, become "usual suspects" - they encompass the BIMARU States and are a subset of the Empowered Action Group (EAG) States (Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh), and have substantial overlap with the "backward" districts identified for early rollout of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in 2005," says the summary of the report published some time ago. Nutritional level of 13,313 children was assessed comprising 14 surveyed district of Jharkhand.

Data further reveals mortality rate in children below five years of age. The figure goes up to 101 per 1,000 live births in West Singhbhum, 95 in Godda and 93 in Sahibgunj.