'Identifying, treating malnourished children crucial for healthy India'

Underlining the importance of a healthy childhood, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Mahendrabhai Munjapara on Thursday said that along with identification of severely malnourished children, proper treatment and management are equally crucial for their brighter and healthier future.

"No child should have to deal with the hardships of severe malnutrition which further attracts other infections and diseases. Hence, not only is identification of severely malnourished children important but its proper treatment and management is crucial to take children out of this misery. It is important to understand that every child matters as they are the future of this country and all should make efforts to make the future brighter and healthier," hee said during a 'Poshan' event where he distributed nutrition kits to beneficiaries at Pachgaon village in Haryana.

Launched in 2018, the Poshan drive is the government's effort to make a strategic shift towards malnutrition reduction and improved health, wellness and immunity through community engagement, outreach, behavioural change, and advocacy via means of a public movement and making food accessible to every child and woman.

"For ensuring sustainable improvement in the nutritional status, all one needs to do is to look around as there is an abundance of nutrition-rich products around us," the Minister said adding that around 2,300 metric tons of rice fortified with iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 for the supplementary nutrition has been provided through Anganwadis this quarter.

"I am sure that with proper distribution, awareness and utilisation, this will help aid in reducing anaemia and under nutrition and that the state will continue its efforts for improving nutritional status of its population, which is also manifested through the state's Nutrition Policy," he added.

There is a need for joint efforts to tackle the menace of malnutrition in the country and only then can India actually achieve the goal of "Suposhit Bharat" (Healthy India), he added.