NEW DELHI: There are reasons for cheer and concern in equal measure for India in the 2019 “End of Childhood Index” that ranks 176 countries this year. While the global report signals a steep decline in births by teenage girls (15-19 years), it also outlines the continuing challenge of malnourishment in the country whose prevalence is cited as “high”.

The Global Childhood Report 2019, brought out by voluntary organisation “Save the Children” emphasises that “India alone accounts for nearly three-quarters of the global reduction in adolescent births between 2000 to now. This reduction has meant two million fewer births by teenage girls in India when compared to 2000 (3.5 million versus 1.4 million).”

In the 2018 index, under 5 mortality rate (deaths per 1000 live births) was 43 and rated as “moderate” in terms of prevalence. This is marginally down to 39.4 in the 2019 index. Although stunting due to malnutrition is still high but since 2000 a decline of 30% is estimated, resulting is 23 million fewer stunted children. Child stunting (% children aged 0-59 months) an indicator of a severely malnourished child was 38.4 and rated as “high prevalence” in the 2018 index. This percentage continues to be the same for 2019 index and is a matter of concern.

India is ranked at 113 out of 176 countries based on its score on eight childhood indicators - health, education, labour, marriage, childbirth and violence. It is stated in the report that India’s score is up 137 points, from 632 to 769 on a scale of 1000 from 2000 to 2019, primarliy because of improvements in child health and survival.

As per the annual Index for 2018 and 2019, the adolescent birth rate (births per 1000 girls aged 15-19) in India is 23.3 and 24.5 respectively. Globally adolescent births are down from 16 million in 2000 to 13 million in 2016.

Reinforcing a trend emphasised in the Census 2011 and National Family Health Survey-4, this report further assesses various data sources and reports to state that child marriage is down by 51% since 2000 (from 30% to 15%) and 63% since 1990. It is observed in the report that “had rates remained unchanged, there would be 9 million more married girls in India today.” “The data also suggests marriage rates for the poorest girls have fallen at least as much as for everyone else. And the decline in child marriage has been most rapid among girls younger than 15.”

As far as the 2019 rating goes in case of adolescents currently married or in union (15-19 yrs) the percentage was 15.2% in 2018 and is the same in the 2019 index. “Decline in child marriage are due in large part to economic growth, rising rates of girls education, proctive investments by government and partners in adolescent girls (including cash transfers to keep girls in schools), increased public awareness about the illegality of child marriage and community-based interventions,” Save the Children, CEO, Bidisha Pillai said quoting from the report.

