CFTRI's nutrition initiative helps 500 malnourished Anganwadi kids in Mysore district

Mysuru: CSIR-CFTRI has begun the process of Nutrition Intervention Programme on pilot basis for six months to address malnourishment issues among 500 Anganwadi children between two to five years of age in Mysuru district.

CFTRI has taken it up with the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds of Bank Note Paper Mill India Pvt ((BNPM) along with officials of Department of Health and Family Welfare Services and Department of Women and Child Development Department, Government of Karnataka.

Dr Mohammed Shiraz Ahmed, Reproductive and Child Health Officer (RCHO), DHFW Ahmedinformed, "the micronutrient status of children selected for the programme is being assessed with tests including Haemoglobin, Ferritin, Vitamin B 12, Folic acid, Albumin, Zinc before the programme began last month. Also nutritional status is being assessed regularly to study the impact of the intervention," he said.

B Basavaraju, Deputy Director, DWCD said, "CFTRI is providing a kit comprising supplementary food developed by it for alleviation of malnutrition. They are providing Energy and Protein rich burfi comprising 8.1g protein, 4mg Iron, 100 mg Calcium on Monday and Thursday; high protein and iron biscuits comprising 5g protein 4 mg Iron on Tuesday; Mango bar comprising carotenoid and 3.8mg Zinc and Spirulina Chikki comprising 4g protein and 1.3g Iron on Wednesday; Mango bar and glucose Amla beverage with 40mg Vitamin C and 3mg Iron on Friday and Spirulina Chikki on Saturday," he said.

Basavaraju added, "More such programmes providing additional nutrient supplements are required for reducing malnutrition among children. They should be extended to adolescent girls in tribal regions."

Dr Shiraz said, "such additional nutritional supplements are required for filling the gaps in the nutritional adequacies of children. Undernutrition among children is the outcome of maternal malnutrition. So providing such nutrition intervention to pregnant women would be a good strategy for improving child nutritional status."

Dr Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, CSIR-CFTRI felt "success of previous nutrition intervention programmes undertaken at Nanjangud in Mysuru district and Purulia in West Bengal encouraged continuing further in such intervention programmes with higher sample size. This would help in validation of the model and suggesting the same for the Government for alleviation of malnutrition. The alleviation of malnutrition through nutrition intervention requires a combined effort of DWCD, health Department, and partnership with organizations having such CSR funding."