Announcement of India Tackles Malnutrition in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa on September 7, 1990

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.* Telephone: (202) 477-1234 BAgg)NEWS RELEASE NO. 91/11 Contact: Richard Kollodge IDA NEWS RELEASE NO. 91/3 (202) 458-1359 INDIA TACKLES MALNUTRITION IN ANDHRA PRADESH AND ORISSA WASHINGTON, September 7, 1990 -- A project designed to reduce malnutrition in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa in India will benefit 5 million children under the age of six and about 3 million pregnant or nursing women. The World Bank is supporting the project with a $10 million loan, and the Bank's concessionary-lending affiliate, the International Development Association, with a credit of SDR 73.6 million ($96 million). About four of every 10 children under the age of six in the two states suffer from moderate to severe malnutrition, which often results in health problems, learning disabilities, or death. The project includes construction and equipping of village centers that will deliver nutrition and health services to infants, children and pregnant women. Audio-visual materials will be developed for use by village health and nutrition workers to teach people how to prevent malnutrition, births of underweight babies, and deaths from illness such as diarrhea. The World Bank loan is for 20 years, including five years of grace, with a variable interest rate, currently 7.72 percent, linked to the cost of the Bank's borrowings. It also carries an annual commitment charge of 0.25 percent on the undisbursed balance. The IDA credit is for 35 years, including 10 years of grace; it carries no interest, but has an annual charge of 0.75 percent on the disbursed balance and a variable charge of up to 0.5 percent (currently zero percent) on the undisbursed balance. Note: Money figures are in U.S. dollar equivalents. IDA credits are denominated in SDRs (Special Drawing Rights), which are valued on the basis of a "basket" of currencies. The U.S. dollar equivalent of the SDR amount of the IDA credit reflects the exchange rates existing at the time of the negotiation of the credit.