TARGET SET TO REDUCE MALNUTRITION IN CHILDREN BELOW 6 YEARS OF AGE FROM 38.4% TO 25% BY YEAR 2022

SPECIAL EMPHASIS TO BE GIVEN TOWARDS CHECKING PROBLEM OF DWARFNESS IN CHILDREN & OF ANAEMIA IN WOMEN/GIRLS
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER DIRECTS OFFICIALS TO MAKE EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE TARGETS

Ludhiana, February 20, 2019: Under the Poshan Abhiyan, a review meeting of District Convergence Action Plan was chaired by Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Convergence Committee (Poshan Abhiyan) Chairman Mr Pradeep Kumar Agrawal. This meeting was attended by district level officials/nodal officers from different departments.

During the meeting, Mr Agrawal asked all the officials to make extra efforts towards providing a healthy lifestyle to women and children under the Mission Tandrust Punjab. He said that for the children aged 0-6 years, the government has set a target to reduce stunting (short height as compared to age/dwarfness) by 2% every year, reduce anaemia in children, women and little girls by 3% every year, and a target of reducing malnutrition in children aged 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by the year 2022.

Mr Agrawal said that the main aim of this meeting was to ensure proper coordination between Women and Child Development Department, Health and Family Welfare department, Rural Development department, Panchayati Raj institutions, Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Food and Public Distribution Department, Human Resources Department, Urban Development Department, New and Renewable Energy Department and Education Department.

Mrs Rupinder Kaur, Member Secretary of District level committee cum District Programme Officer, briefed the members/officials about the works and targets for their respective departments and urged them to maintain proper coordination amongst themselves. She also said that under the Poshan Abhiyan, people would be educated about maintaining cleanliness and changes in their eating habits, activities to be carried out in Aanganwari Centres and other etc.

The Government of India has deputed Mr Avneet Singh as Swasth Bharat Prerak for district Ludhiana so that this scheme can be implemented properly. He also briefed the officials about their respective targets.

Mr Pradeep Kumar Agrawal directed all the SDM’s to hold regular monthly meetings about Poshan Abhiyan with the Child Project Officers deputed in blocks under them. These meetings of Block Level Committees would be held under the Chairmanship of the SDM’s.