There has been a drop in the number of severe acute malnourished (SAM) children in Maharashtra between 2019 and 2021, a feat achieved despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the hardships it brought about.

In a written answer given in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Woman and Child Development Minister Yashomati Thakur said there were 95,978 severe acute malnourished children in the state in December, 2019, which came down to 89,151 in 2020 and further to 81,904 by December last year.