Malnourishment kills 5,000 children in India: Bhutia

New Delhi: Every year malnutrition kills over 5,000 children in India alone and the problem is costing billions of dollars to Asian countries, says former Indian football captain Baichung Bhutia.

"The figures are expected to rise if the government and the authorities do not take initiatives to curb it," he said here late Wednesday.

Bhutia was speaking at the launch of 'One Goal Campaign' -- an initiative to address malnutrition in Asia.

"As a footballer I understand the importance of nutrition... Every child in the Asian region should get nutritious food from birth," Bhutia said.