‘Dastak’ Campaign from Today to Check Malnutrition

Bhopal. ‘Dastak’ campaign will be conducted jointly by the Health and Women and Child Development Departments from November 16 to 30 to curb malnutrition. Information about children’s health and nutrition activities will be provided to around 10 lakh families under the campaign. Asha and Aaganbadi workers jointly visit house to house to apprise people about the nutrition for children below 5 years of age. Sarpanch and Representatives of Panchayats will also accompany these teams. It may be mentioned that there are 50 lakhs children under 5 years of age in the state.

Directives have been issued regarding the campaign to all the Chief Medical and Health Officers, District Vaccination Officers and to the District Programme Officers of Women and Child Development department and their roles also have been fixed. Under the campaign, screening and prevention of anemia in children, Dysentery Disease control and expansion of ‘Maa’ programme related to nutritious food for infants and children among the community, identification of seriously malnourished children, immediate identification and referral of pneumonia and examination sufficient iodine in salt in 14 districts will be undertaken. The campaign will be conducted in the identified block headquarters and sub health centers having less than 80 percent vaccination.

The ‘Dastak’ campaign is being conducted with an objective for good mental and physical development of the children less than 5 years of age. However, institutional delivery is increased to more than 80 percent in the state but vaccination is still low. Vigilance can be kept over children of rural and remote areas and their health development under the campaign.