COVER HINDI - Ministry of Women and Child Development

years of age issued by the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare in November, 2006.
5.15 Second meeting of the Executive Committee of
National Nutrition Mission (NNM) was held on
17.5.2006 under the chairpersonship of Smt. Renuka
Chowdhury, Minister of State (IC), Women and Child
Development to deliberate on the issues requiring attention
of the NNM. The Recommendations of the Committee
are as under:
— Nutrition is one of the most important indicators
of development and it is high time that nutritional
issues affecting the population are addressed in a
mission mode so that the pace of development in
the country could be accelerated.
— Each arm of the Government has to work
towards nutrition promotion. The mission is
needed to mobilise the key sectors having a bearing
on nutrition of the people so that the services under
PDS, Agriculture, Health, Rural Development,
Education and Women & Child Development are
at optimum level of efficiency and there is 100%
activation of all sectors with requisite convergence
to achieve synergistic impact on nutritional status
of the population.
— Infant and young child nutrition is the most
critical area for promoting nutrition of the people.
Appropriate infant and young child feeding practices
are critical for child survival, development, growth,
nutrition and health and need aggressive promotion
on the pattern of pulse polio campaign.
— Nutrition Advocacy of policy makers, Capacity
building/training of different level field functionaries
and education of the public for nutrition promotion
is extremely important for bringing about a
significant change in the nutrition scenario in the
country.
— Awareness generation is needed in a campaign
mode so that supplementary nutrition does not
become substitute feeding, compliance under IFA
supplementation increases, sound food habits are
promoted for preventing non-communicable
diseases.
— Micronutrient malnutrition has not been
addressed effectively in the country so far. There is
need to adopt fortification of common foods like
wheat flour fortified with iron and folic acid, RTE
foods and supplementary foods for children under
ICDS and MID Day Meal with micronutrients,
double fortification of salt with iron and iodine and
so on. A policy on food fortification was necessary.
— A nation wide nutrition monitoring system in the
form of “Nutrition Information System (NIS)”
was needed so that the country has regular
information on nutrition situation of the people and
steps could be taken to monitor and improve the
same. A nation wide National Nutrition Education
Programme is needed in the country.
— The National Institute of Nutrition with the help of
the existing NNMB units in 8 States and other
research organisations should take up the task of
nutrition monitoring, mapping and surveillance in
the country. The NIN should be expanded to serve
as the Resource Centre. All good practices should
be documented and disseminated widely.
— The Executive Committee of NNM should ask for
funds for different activities under NNM so that
intensive interventions in high malnutrition districts/
tribal areas could be undertaken on priority.
— It was considered essential to “give teeth to the
NNM” so that the mandate of the National Nutrition
Policy and National Nutrition Mission for different
sectors of the Government could be implemented
in totality. In other words, the directives of the
recommendations of the NNM should be binding
on all concerned sectors/organisations.
— The Ministry of Women & Child Development, the
secretariat for the National Nutrition Mission, would
need to be strengthened to effectively take up the
cause of nutrition to the forefront.
5.16 Inter Ministerial Coordination Committee on
Micronutrient Malnutrition Control was constituted
under the chairpersonship of the Secretary (WCD) to
review the existing interventions and identify strategies
for addressing micronutrient malnutrition in a holistic
manner. The first meeting was held on 30.5.2006.
5.17 Committee of Secretaries under the
Chairpersonship of the Cabinet Secretary has been meeting
88 Annual Report 2006-07