A report on hunger and malnutrition in 112 districts across nine states of the country has revealed that 42.3 per cent children under the age of five years are underweight, 58.8 per cent are stunted and 11.4 per cent are “wasted”. Releasing the report prepared by Hyderabad-based Naandi Foundation here today, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed malnutrition a “national shame”.

The HUNGaMA (Hunger and Malnutrition) report covered 106 worst-performing districts as per the UNICEF child development index and six best-performing districts across three states.