President launches campaign against malnutrition

President Pranab Mukherjee Monday stressed on need for creating increased public awareness on the issue of malnutrition as he launched a campaign in pursuance of Prime Minister's National Council on India's Nutrition Challenges that was formed in the year 2008.

The nationwide Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Campaign Against Malnutrition was launched at a function organised by the Ministry of Women & Child Development in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

Besides the Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath and Human Resource Development Minister MM Pallam Raju, representatives of several UN agencies, members of the civil society and frontline workers were present on the occasion.

Calling the data of undernutrition as of concern, the President stated: "We must do our utmost, at a time when Indian economy is on a strong positive growth trajectory."

"These figures are a wakeup call and underline the need for concerted drive against malnutrition, and until we ensure good nutrition and health for our children and their mothers we cannot achieve our targets of sustained and inclusive growth," he said.

A survey of more than one lakh children across six States has found that as many as 42 per cent of under-fives are severely or moderately underweight and that 59 per cent of them suffer from moderate to severe stunting.

The prevalence of underweight in children born with a weight below 2.5 kg is 50 per cent, while that among children born with a weight above 2.5 kg is 34 per cent.

The IEC Campaign Against Malnutrition intends to sensitise and broaden awareness about good nutrition among the masses for improved nutrition outcomes.

It will be carried out at the national, state and local levels through conventional and modern media through multimedia channels with the help of Ministry of Information & Broadcasting agencies. Actor Aamir Khan has been roped in to be the face of the campaign.

Awareness on malnutrition and simple ways of preventing and reducing it will be communicated through several creatives in the form of ads on TV, radio and print media in 18 different Indian languages.

Minister for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath said that the campaign would create greater sensitivity for women and children in the society and bring about a behavioural change which will inspire the masses to understand their responsibilities and deliver their duties.