State to implement food fortification programme

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 18

The Haryana Government has decided to implement the food fortification programme in the state to provide nutritious food to women and children so as to improve their health and prevent nutritional deficiencies.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the general body of State Health Mission under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here today.

To begin with, this programme would be implemented in one block of Ambala district on pilot basis and on the success of this programme; it would be replicated across the state.

Khattar said by providing nutritious food items, the nutritional-level among women and children could be considerably improved. This would also help in reducing the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the state which stands at 41 per 1,000 live births, at present.

Haryana has a target to reduce the IMR to 28 by 2017. He said the Haryana State Nutrition Mission had also been started to address the nutritional needs of women and children.

A comprehensive plan is being chalked out by departments of Health, Education and Women and Child Development for the successful implementation of this programme, under which help of millers would also be sought.

Under this programme, food items mixed with vitamins and other nutrients would be prepared with the help of millers before they are distributed among the beneficiaries.

The Chief Minister stressed on the need for further improvement of gender ratio in the state which at present stands at 864 per 1,000 males. For this, Khattar directed the officers to ensure the effective implementation of the ambitious ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Programme’.

It was also informed that three rounds of Mission Indradhanush have been completed. The mission was started in April 2015 as an intense immunization drive of seven days in a month for four consecutive months with an aim to cover all unimmunized, partially immunized children and pregnant women.