BPNI NEWS DESK, NEW DELHI, MAY 2, 2007: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh assured to take appropriate measures for protection of infants and young children of India. In a meeting at his residence on 2 May, Wednesday, Prime Minister discussed this issue with a high-level delegation team representing seven professional health organizations, institutions and NGOs including BPNI.

In the meeting, the delegation members explained him about the actual needs of infants and young children of India. They asked Prime Minister to establish a high level National Authority on Infant Nutrition, which would oversee matters related to infant nutrition and child survival. The proposed Authority would also look into matters related to promotion of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) and breastfeeding.

The National Authority, according to Dr. Arun Gupta, National Coordinator of BPNI, would be a national umbrella organization of various institutions whose prime objective would be to help and guide in promotion of IYCF and breastfeeding across the ministries and states.

Earlier, a delegation team of sixteen national organizations of health professionals and citizen movement groups led by BPNI submitted a Joint Statement on Infant and Young Child Feeding ensuring Optimal Infant Nutrition, Survival and Development (http://www.bpni.org/advocacy-2007.html) to Prime Minister and in that connection PM office invited BPNI to discuss nitty-gritty of the recommendations of Joint Statement with Dr. Manmohan Singh for further follow up and action.

Prime Minister Dr. Singh said, “Our concerned ministries would take appropriate measures to tackle the problems of child malnutrition and child deaths in the country.” He, however, assured the delegates that he would take up this matter with Planning Commission and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The delegation members had explained the Prime Minister about how both ICDS and NRHM could play vital roles in much needed ‘family’ level interventions and requested him to give equal priority to “breastfeeding” along with other child health issues in terms of allocation of resources and promotion. The important issues like ASHA’s involvement in infant feeding counseling, care and support to the needy young babies, maternity entitlements for pregnant women and crèches for babies were also discussed with the Prime Minister.

It is a well-known fact that poor neonatal care and malnutrition are solely responsible – or most prominent causes— of young child deaths in India. Of the 27 million babies born in the country every year, a whopping 2.42 million children under the age of five die and 1.2 million die during neonatal period or in the first month. Exclusive breastfeeding helps in prevention and control of diseases, brain development and ensures highest level of child survival.

Dr. Arun Gupta (National Coordinator, BPNI) and six other members—Dr. Vinod Paul (Prof. Pediatrics, AIIMS), Dr. Dharam Prakash (Hony. Joint Secretary, IMA), Dr. Vandana Prasad (Joint Convener, Jan Swasthya Abhiyan), Mr. Rahul Dev (Samyak Foundation), Dr. J P Dadhich (Project Coordinator, HIV & Infant Feeding, BPNI) and Dr. Tarsem Jindal, (Pediatrician, Jaipur Golden Hospital) were present in the meeting.

(By: Subrata Dutta)