|
World Food Programme - India the food aid arm of the United Nations |
|
Home About Us Policies Events Media Publications Vacancies Other Websites All Documents |
|
The World Food Programme
(WFP) organised a 2-day conference in collaboration with the Department of
Women and Child Development (DWCD) and Micronutrient Participants included
senior government of India officers who are involved in supplementary feeding
programmes and in implementation of the National Nutrition Policy (Department
of Women and Child Development, Food and Nutrition Board, Food Processing
Ministry, Agriculture Ministry and Prevention of Food Adulteration); state
government officers involved in ICDS implementation from 9 The outcome of the conference was a paper on ‘National Strategy to address micronutrient malnutrition through ICDS’ Background to the conference Micronutrients play
leading roles in the production of enzymes, hormones and other substances,
helping to regulate growth, activity, development, and the functioning of the
immune and the reproductive systems. They must be part of the diet or taken
as supplements. The full devastating
extent and impact of micronutrient malnutrition have been recognized only
recently. Deficits in three key nutrients- Vitamin A, iron and iodine cause
clinical manifestations- childhood and maternal death, lowered immune
response, blindness, mental retardation and anaemia. But this human
devastation is only the tip of the iceberg; it does not include millions who
are marginally deficient in micronutrients and unable to achieve their full
mental and physical potential as parents, workers and citizens. Poverty, lack
of access to a variety of foods, lack of knowledge of optimal dietary
practices and high incidence of infectious diseases are some of the factors,
which lead to micronutrient malnutrition. Adequate intake is especially
crucial during early childhood and other periods of rapid growth, pregnancy
and breast-feeding. Micronutrient
malnutrition is most devastating among pre-school children, adolescent girls
and pregnant mothers, the target beneficiaries of ICDS, the existing national
program which holistically addresses the interrelated needs of young
children, adolescent girls and women- the groups most vulnerable to
micronutrient malnutrition. Through supplementary feeding it attempts to
bridge the caloric gap between the national recommended and actual average
intake of children and women in low income and disadvantaged communities. The
ICDS food reaches out to the poorest and the most vulnerable in the country.
Norms for ICDS food supplement have been specified but only for calories and
protein. The supplementary food
provided in ICDS is unlikely to meet their micronutrient needs because most
of the ICDS food does not contain enough vitamins and minerals. Thus there is
urgent need to include micronutrients in the norms for ICDS food. If the
supplementary food provided to them was fortified with minerals and vitamins,
micronutrient deficiency in the vulnerable groups can be easily prevented and
controlled. ICDS IN INDIA APPEARS TO BE THE RIGHT TOOL TO
COMBAT MICRONUTRIENT MALNUTRITION.
|
||||
|
World Food Programme 2 Poorvi Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi – 110057, India Tel:91-11-26150000, Fax:91-11-26150019
Contact:
|
||||
