A recent health screening conducted under the state government’s Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) found that Barnala district reported most cases severe acute malnutrition (50) and severe anaemia (37) across Punjab.

The survey, conducted across government and aided schools, and anganwadi centres, screened 13.3 lakh children aged 0 to 18 years over 12 months, ending January 2025.

The screenings under the programme are aimed at catching early signs of health issues such as birth defects, diseases, nutritional deficiencies and developmental delays.

Acute malnutrition is a condition where children are underweight as compared to their height, indicating a lack of healthy body mass.

According to the data, multiple districts, including Faridkot, Fazilka, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Malerkotla, Mansa, Muktsar, Patiala, Pathankot, Ropar, SBS Nagar, SAS Nagar and Tarn Taran, did not report even a single case of severe acute malnutrition.

Sangrur district reported the highest number of cases with ‘severe thinning’ (555), a condition where a child is noticeably thin but does not meet the medical definition of acute malnutrition. Gurdaspur (526) and Amritsar (377) stood second and third in cases of severe thinning.

In anaemia, Amritsar (14) and Kapurthala (13) round up the top three list. Ludhiana reported only two anaemia cases in the given time period, a steep drop from the 107 cases recorded between April and August 2023.

An RBSK official said they advise families of the affected students to improve their diet, and distribute iron tablets. However, the officials admitted to being ‘unsure’ about the kids’ diligence in consuming them.

RBSK nodal officer Dr Sukhjit Kaur said there are five nutrition rehabilitation centres, one each in Amritsar, Muktsar, Kapurthala, Bathinda and SBS Nagar, for students diagnosed with acute malnutrition.