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Breastfeeding
in the agenda of child survival
and development programmes of Uttarakhand
Study
Report on Status of Infant and Young
Children Feeding, Uttarakhand released
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BPNI
NEWS DESK:
In a major step to improve the conditions
of the state infants and children,
the government of Uttarakhand will
introduce “breastfeeding”
in its core agenda of child
survival and development. Such initiative
will help to reduce infant mortality
in the state and address the problems
of malnutrition in which thousands
of infants and young children die
every year.
A state action plan will be shortly
developed incorporating early initiation
of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding
for six months and complementary
feeding after two years. Emphasizing
its genuine needs and importance,
Mr. S. K.
Das, chief secretary of Uttarakhand,
articulated that “breastfeeding”
as core of child health programme
should be given top priority keeping
in view the high rate of IMR and
the fertility rate in the state.
The IMR rate has gone up and the
fertility rate has become stagnant
in the state.
Pointing
out the needs of “breastfeeding
promotion”,
he further said that the
information on “NHFS-3”
and “breastfeeding
initiation within one hour”
as well as “exclusive
breastfeeding”
should be widely disseminated
in the state referring its
high urgency and importance
to deal with the current
trends of IMR and fertility
rates. He, however, has
also emphasized to involve
PRIs and other public utility
services for this purpose. |
Smt. Vibha Puri Das, principal secretary
of Forest and Rural Development
of Uttarakhand while inaugurating
this consultative meet held at Dehradun
on 18 January had urged to double
the rate of early initiation of
breastfeeding from its current rate,
within a year. Speaking at the consultative
meet she said that the indicators
measured by BPNI should be closely
monitored, assuring a comprehensive
action programme and mechanisms
drawn for monitoring and evaluation.
Capacity building for women would
also directly contribute to proper
health care of the infants and young
children, she informed adding the
needs to create a network of mother
support groups at family level and
spreading of breastfeeding education
among the women.
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Before
this, Dr.
Arun Gupta of BPNI made
a presentation highlighting
the needs of universalization
of timely initiation of
breastfeeding. He presented
the findings of the survey
conducted in 13 districts
of Uttarakhand, the first
of its kind research programme
on infants initiated in
the state. |
A
sharp focus on infant nutrition
inputs, action plans for universalization
of early initiation, ORS and breastfeeding
would rapidly bring down infant
morality and improve infant nutrition
status in the state, suggested
Dr. Gupta.
Smt Radha
Raturi, secretary of Women and Child
Development of Uttarakhand,
appreciated the findings of the
study conducted by BPNI and suggested
a suitable action plan to showcase
improvements in the status of infants
and young children and the impact
of the work should reflect in the
evaluation in another 3/4 years
down the line.
Mrs.
Hemlata Dhaundiyal, director
of WCD shared the
status of health and nutrition
of children of Uttrakhand
with the participants and
gave her valuable insights
for an appropriate action
plan. Dr J. P. Dadhich of
BPNI in his presentation
suggested three major areas
of intervention, which include
actions at policy, health
service and community level.
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Health secretary of Uttarakhand
government in his remarks said
that health programmes run in
the state are responsible to implement
the intervention of “breastfeeding”
but it remains a distant priority.
A suitable plan should be formulated
to universalize this intervention,
he observed.
(By: Subrata Dutta)
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