Hyderabad and Medchal Malkajgiri districts recorded the lowest rates of supplementary nutrition distribution to mothers and children among all 33 districts of Telangana in 2023-24, according to the Telangana State Statistical Abstract report released by the Telangana Development Planning Society (TGDPS).

The supplementary nutrition programme is one of the six key services offered under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme. As part of this initiative, children between the ages of six months and six years, along with pregnant and lactating mothers, receive nutritional support to ensure their well-being.

The report revealed that in Hyderabad, only 51% of the 21,300 pregnant and lactating women enrolled for supplementary nutrition received it, amounting to 11,021 beneficiaries. Medchal Malkajgiri fared slightly better, with 55.4% (12,592 out of 22,721) of enrolled women receiving nutrition. In contrast, Jagtial recorded the highest coverage, with 79.8% of beneficiaries (11,976 out of 15,011) receiving the necessary nutritional support.

For child nutrition, Medchal Malkajgiri ranked the lowest, with only 60.3% of enrolled children receiving supplementary nutrition. Of the 1.14 lakh children registered, only 69,202 received support. Hyderabad followed closely, with 66.7% coverage (69,221 out of 1.03 lakh). Vikarabad emerged as the best-performing district, where 85.4% (43,705 out of 51,196) of children benefited from supplementary nutrition.

The report also highlighted other key health initiatives in the state. A total of 2.08 lakh Mother and Child Health (MCH) kits were distributed in 2023-24, and 3.55 lakh individuals availed benefits under the Aarogyasri health scheme from April 2023 to March 2024.

Additionally, among the 18.93 lakh children weighed across Telangana, 98.24% were categorised as having normal weight. However, 1.76% were found to be malnourished, with 1.36% classified as severely malnourished and 0.39% as moderately malnourished.