NEW DELHI: More than half of the pregnant and lactating women in the South Indian State of Kerala, lack both nutrition and support from the anganwadis, a government institution meant to provide precisely that. A survey has revealed that anganwadis, local centers meant to give nutritional and healthcare support to infants, pregnant women and lactating mothers, cater to just 210,000 of Kerala's 436,000 lakh pregnant women and mothers who are breast-feeding their infants. In fact, records indicate that the number of lactating mothers catered to by these centers fell from 227,000 to 197,000 in the last five years. While government officials responsible for these centers were quick to attribute this scenario to improvement of the general living standards of women, activists and civil society members think otherwise. The silver lining however is that these anganwadis are functioning efficiently in most rural parts of Kerala, where pregnant women and lactating mothers are prescribed and given a fixed daily diet. But in sub-urban areas and cities, the centers have stopped dispensing medicines and food. According to Omana, who has two children, the centers used to formerly give a wheat-based breakfast and a glass of milk everyday, but the practice was discontinued five years ago. Another mother Shanthakumari said even medicines offered to lactating mothers and pregnant women were abruptly stopped. An official of the Social Welfare Department, which oversees the functioning of these centers, said he suspects siphoning or diversion of funds. The officer, who did not wish to be named, claimed that local self-governing bodies under whose direct control these centers work, have all been disbursed funds for the scheme. According to him, the state had set aside and distributed $ 12 million for this scheme in 2011 and has disbursed $ 7million so far this year.
