No malnutrition after 3 yrs: Govt

Sushil Manav

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 15

With malnutrition among children and anaemia among people rising alarmingly, the state government has now resolved to bring these down to normal within three years through the State Nutrition Mission for ‘Kuposhan Mukt Haryana, a state specific nutrition mission, to be launched from January 1, 2018.

The National Health Mission (NHM) and the state Health Department organised a national-level brainstorming consultation workshop in collaboration with the NITI Ayog and the Centre for Health Research and Development-Society for Applied Studies here yesterday to address the issue of malnutrition among children.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar presided over the workshop, while Dr Vinod Kumar, member of the NITI Ayog, co-chaired it.

Expressing concern over the levels of malnutrition, Khattar said the Department of Health, Women and Child Development, Panchayati Raj, Public Health Engineering and Public Distribution System needed to work together to improve upon the key indicators of malnutrition.

Khattar also declared that the state was trying to fast track implementation of food fortification under which two blocks of Ambala (Naraingarh and Barara) would be provided fortified wheat flour in mid day meal, PDS and ICDS schemes.

Amit Jha, Principal Secretary, Health, said that the department was working on the issue in tandem with the Women and Child Development Department and the final draft of the State Nutrition Mission would be submitted soon to the government.

“We will not leave any stone unturned to reduce the rates of malnutrition to the level of minimum within next three years. For this, a core group will be prepared by including professional bodies, academic institutions and representatives from various departments,” Jha said.

Mission Director, National Health Mission, Amneet P. Kumar said the first thousand days (from pregnancy to 24 months) were very critical in development of a child.

“Early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding indicators need to be improved in the state further,” she added.