Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan calls for steps to tackle malnutrition

Tarnaka: "There is a lot to be done to alleviate the country from the problems of malnutrition," said Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana in her inaugural address of the 'Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey: Regional Data User Workshop,' held at ICMR- National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) on Wednesday.

The two-day Regional Data User Workshop is being jointly organised by the UNICEF and Population Council. It aims to share the finding of CNNS survey, and to explore opportunities for secondary data analysis. Researchers, clinicians and public health professionals/functionaries from southern states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka participated in the workshop.

Stressing the importance of nutrition for national development and nutritionally healthy India, the Governor further shared her own experience as a medical practitioner. She cited cases where misconceptions and notions hindered people from embracing nutritional schemes and supplements that government provides.

She said, "I have interacted with many pregnant women during the years of my medical practice. We would suggest to them to make use of the Iron and Folic Acid tablets, but they would not. When we ascertained, they had a notion that consuming Iron supplements would make the child in the womb dark. These notions are totally irrational, and we should strive to create proper nutrition awareness."

Similarly, she also said that she came across many families that discriminate between male and female children while providing nutritious food. She said, "In many families gender-based discrimination is still rampant but the situation now is getting better." She further called for exploring the scientific rationale behind some of the traditional and regional food practices.

NIN being an important partner in the CNNS survey for the first time captured the nutritional status and diets of children from 0-19 years across all the states across the country.

Dr Hemalatha, Director, NIN said, "The data is important and since we have the state-specific data, different stakeholders participating in the two-day workshop will be oriented to use the data effectively to enhance efforts to promote nutrition and health."

Dr Robert Johnston and Dr Praween Agrawal of UNICEF India also participated along with Dr P Raghu and other senior scientists of NIN.