Haryana government adopts strategy to tackle malnutrution

New Delhi: The Haryana government has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to tackle child malnutrition. The strategy includes establishment of State Nutrition Council and State Nutrition Mission, organised focused interventions at village and block level, and coordination of the efforts of different departments to create awareness and provide necessary materials and support to women and children.

Inspite of the state's progressive status, several surveys have indicated an alarming increase in malnutrition and anaemia among children and pregnant women, an official release quoting a spokesman of the Women and Child Development Department said here today.

The spokesman said that the policy had been framed with the vision to ensure that women of reproductive age, and children in Haryana achieve sustainable improvement in their nutrition and health status.

Special focus would be laid on the most vulnerable sections and families, he said.

The policy aims to ensure optimal infant and young child care, nutrition and health, improved maternal care, health and nutrition, improved adolescent nutrition, especially of girls, control of micro nutrient deficiencies or vitamin and mineral deficiencies by addressing vitamin A, iron, iodine, folate and zinc deficiencies.

The spokesman said that as the ultimate goal of the state government is to develop and implement a comprehensive, integrated and multi-sectoral strategy based on an inter-sectoral approach, the State Nutrition Policy-2016 would thus serve as both guiding force and the framework for implementation of multi-sectoral strategy to achieve the state nutrition target by 2020.

(With PTI inputs)