Following the outbreak of COVID-19, health workers have been roped in to take up activities to control spread of the infection. With this, a lot less attention is being given to reducing malnutrition among children, according to Rajani Nagesh Rao, Deputy Director of the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
Speaking at a webinar on ‘Poshan Abhiyan: towards curbing malnutrition’ on Thursday, Dr. Rao said faulty breastfeeding practices, improper and inadequate complementary feeding, and micronutrient deficiency were some of the reasons for malnutrition among children.
Surekha Vijayprakash, Joint Director of the Department of Women and Child Development, said studies have found that the first 1,000 days in a child’s life were very important and during this period, attention and care has to be given to ensure the child is not malnourished. She said that soon, anganwadi workers would be provided with smart phones, which will help them maintain 21 registers digitally. An app has also been developed for this by the centre, she said.
Stressing the need to reduce consumption of sugar and packaged and junk food, Sanjeev Kulkarni, a gynaecologist, spoke about the importance for incorporating fresh and local produce in one’s diet. “There are many local varieties of green leafy vegetables that can be grown at home, such as nela basale, lavanga tulsi, chayamanasa, chakramuni, and doddapatre. Many of these are considered to be superfoods,” he said, adding that creating more awareness was key to reducing malnutrition.
“In just a few months, everybody has become aware about the importance of wearing masks. A similar thrust should be given to creating awareness about good dietary practices and nutrition,” he said.
