Govt Alert about Checking Malnutrition, Infant Mortality Rate: Baghel

Minister of State for Women and Child Development Ranjana Baghel has said that the state government is not only alert about checking malnutrition and infant mortality rate but is also discharging its duties effectively, said an official release.

The minister said that several important measures have been undertaken in the state to eradicate malnutrition and the Health Department has constituted a separate cell for the healthcare of newborn children and started Newborn Intensive Care Units.

The Women and Child Development Department has also launched various innovative activities including ICDS, Angawadi Chalo Abhiyan, Bal Sanjivni Abhiyan, Sajha Chulha, Take-home Ration etc.

Besides, a mapping of the state’s malnourished children is also being undertaken with the cooperation of National Nutrition Institute, Hyderabad.

According to Baghel, several schemes and programmes including establishment of Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres, Infant Security Month, motivating breastfeeding and Village Health and Nutrition Day have been organised on the initiative of the Health Department.

On the initiative of the Women and Child Development Department, Mangal Diwas at Anganwadi centres, Project Shaktiman and new WHO norms have been implemented in the state.

Similarly, special emphasis has been laid on Web Inbuilt Monitoring System, creation of mass awareness in favour of breastfeeding, door-to-door meetings and awareness camps have been organised.

She informed that the state government has taken the important decision of establishing Atal Child Healthcare and Nutrition Mission with a view to eradicating malnutrition and checking infant mortality rate in the state.

This mission will undertake concerted and integrated efforts in these directions.

Vision 2020 has also been chalked out for the successful conduct of the Mission.

Throwing light on the Mission’s objectives, she said that it would help the state achieve the millennium targets, aim to reduce the percentage of underweight children below five years of age from 60 to 40 percent by the year 2015 and to 20 percent by the year 2020.

She said that it would also aim at reducing the ratio of malnourished children below the age of 5 years from 12.6 percent to 5 percent by the year 2020.