CHANDIGARH: To boost the nutritional-level of children and women in the state and to identify the children suffering from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) children, the Haryana Government has decided to celebrated the ongoing month, September 2020, as National Nutrition Month.
Giving information in this regard, an official spokesperson of Department of Women and Child Development said that the malnutrition can be reduced by creating awareness about ideal nutrition, balanced diet and protein-rich food in women, girls and children. He said while the nutrition month is being observed, measures like maintaining social distancing, wearing of masks and washing hands at regular intervals will be ensured to contain the spread of pandemic COVID-19.
He informed that instructions have been issued to all District Programme Officers that this month should be celebrated in the right spirit, paying special attention to the theme of National Nutrition Month. A calendar has also been released for the events slated to be held throughout this month, in which children suffering from Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) will be identified. Subsequently, to make the mothers aware about the diet of such children, various activities like health checks, meetings with the mothers, Annaprashan Diwas, organizing community-based programmes while laying emphasis on breastfeeding along with organizing meetings with pregnant & lactating women and adolescent girls are included.
Besides, during this month, Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Day will also be celebrated with special focus on nutrition. Thus, special health check up of children and pregnant and lactating women will be done in collaboration with the Health Department.
He informed that awareness camps will be organised in small groups of five to seven women at different times to create awareness about the improvement of the health of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) children so as to enlighten them about the symptoms of malnutrition, diet of SAM children, personal hygiene etc. The weight and height of such children will also be measured.
He informed that during Nutrition Month, people will also be made aware about developing kitchen garden so that they can get green vegetables of daily need at home. Apart from this, under the 'Plants for Nutrition' programme, a special talk will be organised by the Department of AYUSH to make people aware about the benefits and importance of medicinal plants and to create awareness about the nutritional plants. During this month a cooking competition will also be organized for Anganwadi workers and women, and Anganwadi workers will go door-to-door to disseminate information amongst women about ways to compensate the micronutrients like iron, vitamin-A, zinc, iodine which are lacking in their food.
The spokesperson said that to create awareness about boosting the nutritional level of women and children nukkad nataks, folk singing and Ragini etc. will also be organised. Moreover, hoardings and banners will also be installed in public places and community buildings. He informed that the closing ceremony of Nutrition Month will be held on September 30, 2020. Anganwadi workers will prepare nutritional level reports of children in Anganwadi Centres and report will be compiled at block-level. In addition, reports of kitchen gardening with photographs will also be submitted. Pledge ceremony and nutrition anthem will be organised at village, block and district levels. In addition, a special meeting of the Nutrition Panchayat /Gram Panchayat / Khand Panchayat and Zila Panchayat will be held to review the various activities conducted during the nutrition month.