National seminar on malnutrition, safe motherhood

Bhopal, June 12 (UNI) Infant and child-feeding, safe motherhood and the community's role, malnutrition in urban population, management of acute malnutrition and food fortification are the themes of a two-day national seminar underway here.

'Meeting the Challenges of Malnutrition' was inaugurated yesterday at the RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration and Management and is being organised by the Department of Woman and Child Development, UNICEF and Madhya Pradesh Bhoj (Open) University, a release said.

Inaugurating the event, Governor Balram Jhakar said, ''several fresh initiatives have been taken by this state to tackle malnourishment in children. It is important that we take these initiatives forward and reach each and every village.'' Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the state's priorities are reducing maternal mortality, infant mortality and female foeticide. ''The Department of Women and Child Development has introduced a scheme named Shaktiman to combat malnutrition in tribal children,'' he explained.

Woman and Child Development Minister Kusum Mehedele highlighted efforts of anganwadi workers.

In the technical session, Mr Hamid El Bashir -- who is State Representative UNICEF Office for Madhya Pradesh -- congratulated the state on its initiatives such as the Ladli Laxmi Yojana, gender-budgeting, reduction of malnutrition, increase in Vitamin A coverage, adoption of the global Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses strategy, sick new-born care, new formula ORS etc.

''Almost half of India's children are malnourished and malnutrition contributes 50 per cent to infant mortality rates in this state,'' he said while suggesting six steps that can help combat malnutrition.

1. To focus on entitlement for SC and ST 2. To adopt a holistic integrated approach towards malnutrition 3. Need to look at structural transformation of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) including increasing capacity of the human resource and filling vacant posts 4. Need of dynamic interface between health and ICDS 5. Ensure more budgetary allocation for children 6. Start comprehensive ICDS assessment as to why things did not significantly change over the past decade-and-a-half? ''National Family Health Survey data states that 60 per cent of children in this state are malnourished,'' said Dr Marzio Babille, Chief of Health and Nutrition, UNI