Mysuru: As per National Family Health Survey-5, nearly one third of the children in India are having low weight and height for their age and 62 percent of them are anaemic.
These deficiencies, apart from impairing growth, reduces mental ability, compromises immunity and affects metabolism. Research has shown that undernourished are at higher risk of getting non-communicable disease in their adulthood.
Providing dietary interventions of the deficit nutrients would correct the nutritional status of children and is highly essential for a healthy community and nation.
CSIR 鈥 Central Food Technological Research Institute, being a premier food research institute, developed supplementary foods for alleviation of malnutrition in the 1960s and its efficacy was validated in school children. The efforts have been continuous in the direction and later developed several products that are suitable for the purpose.
This time, Bank Note Paper Mill India Pvt. Ltd. (BNPM), Mysuru, has come forward to sponsor a project on 鈥淣utrition Intervention for Malnourished Pre-School Children in Mysuru District鈥 under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
This is a joint project initiated by CSIR-CFTRI, funded by Bank Note Paper Mill India Pvt. Ltd. and executed in association with Directorate of Health & Family Welfare Services (DHFW) & Directorate of Women and Child Development Department (DWCD), Government of Karnataka.
In all, 600 malnourished pre-school children will be selected for this programme, out of which 500 children will be provided nutrition intervention and remaining are control set.
Micro-nutrient status of these children will be assessed and the malnourished children would be provided with food kit developed by CSIR-CFTRI comprising high energy and protein products, fortified with micro-nutrients such as Iron, Vitamin-A and Zinc on monthly basis for a period of six months.
The beneficiaries of the project have been identified from Anganwadis in Mysuru district and their anthropometric & biochemical samples were collected in association with DHFW and the analysis is undergoing in collaboration with Mysore Medical College & Research Centre (MMC&RI).
The formal launch of the programme was held at CFTRI recently wherein Thalikerappa, Managing Director of BNPM was the chief guest. B. Basavaraj, Deputy Director, DWCD & Dr. Mohammed Shiraz Ahmed, Reproductive and Child Health Officer (RCHO), DHFW, were guests of honour.
Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, CSIR-CFTRI, presided. The programme was formally launched by distributing nutrition food supplement kits to five malnourished children.
Dr. Jyothi Lakshmi, Sr. Principal Scientist, CSIR-CFTRI, explained about the programme.
Dharanikumara, Chief General Manager, BNPM and the doctors from MMC&RI Dr. Nayas Pasha, Dr. Rangaswamy and Dr. Shubha Jayaram also attended.