Food-borne diseases 'high' in western region: NIN study

Hyderabad, Oct 16 (UNI) A survey conducted by the National Institution on Nutrition (NIN), a nodal agency on Food and Drug Safety in the country has found the prevalance of food-borne illnesses to be on the rise in the western region.

The gist of the report, released by the Union Minister of State for Health Panabaka Lakshmi here today, said the western region reported the highest prevalence of 25 per cent, topped by the 'progressive state' of Maharashtra and followed by Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh. The incidence was much less in Gujarat stated. The report, prepared by interacting with 20,7000 respondents drawn from 82 districts of 28 states, as part of the World Bank-assisted Capacity Building Project on Food Safety and Quality Control of Drugs.

Commending the efforts of the Ministry, NIN and other institutes involved in the Rs 364.65 crore project, the Minister said the study would be useful in bringing down food-borne diseases at a time when over four lakh children below the age of five die each year due to diarrhoea, and several millions fall ill on account of hepatitis-A, enteric fever, intestinal worms as also eye and skin infections due to poor hygiene and unsafe food and drinking water.

Nearly 240 million children upto 14 years of age were at a risk due to consumption of water from unprotected sources and poor sanitation she lamented, adding that the UPA Government was committed to expand nutrition programmes, particularly for the girl child.

MORE UNI SM JJ PB BD1609