5-pronged approach to counter malnutrition in State: Experts

| | Ranchi
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5-pronged approach to counter malnutrition in State: Experts

Tuesday, 25 September 2018 | PNS | Ranchi

In a bid to weed out malnutrition completely, focus must be on five major areas -- dietary diversity, exclusive breast– feeding for six month, micro nutrients, infection control including water and sanitation hygiene, said experts during a media workshop organized here on Monday.

Taking into account the alarming figures of malnutrition in context to Jharkhand, experts of civil society including doctors elaborately discussed about the importance of the ongoing National Nutrition Programme and the role of media in reaching out to the public and educating them about stunting, wasting and underweight.

“The consolidated figures suggested that the tribal State accounts for about half (43 per cent) cases of malnutrition where children under three years are stunted or too short against their age, an indication of malnutrition. It must be noted that after two years (from birth of a child till they attain the age of two), if proper care is not taken, stunting is irreversible. Also cereals based food cannot cover malnutrition completely, protein content in diet is required,” said Sumitro Roy, State Team Leader, WE CAN – Jharkhand during his presentation on the ways and the present state of the Jharkhand in combating Malnutrition.

Roy further said that if Malnutrition is not addressed rapidly with proper action paln, it can decline the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) up to 12 per cent, hence five Ministries of GoI – Ministry of Women and Child Development – the nodal Ministry, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Water and Sanitation including Ministry of Human Resource Department have collaborated and launched National Nutrition Programme to spread awareness at different level.

Also, the participants emphasized on increasing the participation of community by expanding its role in sensitizing people. Roy opined that following the reports of International Food Policy Research Institute published in 2017, the State must focus on food security. “Monitoring and reviewing aspects have been strengthened with the introduction of National Nutrition Programme, hence, with the help of people and other local resources available, a regular check on Public Distribution System (PDS) can be beneficial,” Roy said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sunita Katyayan, a renowned Pediatrician and member of IMA, IPA, BPNI explained the importance of breastfeeding focusing on Mother’s Absolute Affection (MAA) programme -- a flagship programme to ensure adequate awareness is generated among masses, especially mothers about breastfeeding.

Furthermore, Katyayan also spoke about Infant Milk Substitute Act 1992 relating it with malnutrition which is responsible for over 50 per cent of the infant mortality across the country.

“The purpose of the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods Act 1992 and its 2003 amendment is to promote breast feeding of new born children and infants. Even now, concept of breastfeeding is yet to be popularized among the public in the absence of knowledge, law enforcement. Cases of severe asthma, obesity, kidney problem, blood pressure (BP) among children are observed since early childhood these days,” said Dr. Katyayan

Another expert, Ranjan Panda, Deputy Director – Programme and Planning, Child in Need Institute (CINI) explained about community based crèche model and other approaches that can extract malnutrition during the workshop.

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