Conference<\/strong>\u00a0on \u201cPublic Health and Nutrition \u2013 Freeing Future Generations from Malnutrition\u2019 on 29th<\/sup>\u00a0September 2018 at FICCI<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>![](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27118%27%20height%3D%2714%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20118%2014%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27118%27%20height%3D%2714%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" "\\"heading-separator\\"")
<\/span><\/div>Sukarya\u2019s first Conference\u00a0on \u201cPublic Health and Nutrition \u2013 Freeing Future Generations from Malnutrition\u2019 on 29th<\/sup>\u00a0September 2018 at FICCI, was amazing and successful. It delivered what it set out to do. Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare was the Chief Guest and\u00a0Shri Ajay Tirkey, (IAS), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development was the Guest of Honour and Key Note Speaker in the inaugural session.<\/p>\nSukarya hosted this conference in technical partnership with the National Commission on Protection of Children\u2019s Rights (NCPCR) and in strategic partnership with the Maternal & Child Health program on the Milken School Institute of Public Health at the George Washington University, Washington D.C.<\/p>\n
It created a platform to discuss the various aspects of nutritional issues. It envisages to work strategically in collaboration with national and international partners to reduce, control and prevent anemia and malnutrition.<\/p>\n
International Experts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Amita Vyas, Dr. Megan Landry and Dr. Nitasha Chaudhary Nagaraj from George Washington University, USA;<\/li>\n
- Sabrina Husain, Cardiac Surgeon and Registrar, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hospital, Bangladesh; and<\/li>\n
- Pratik Adhikary, Senior Researcher from Nepal.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Indian experts were:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Shri Ajay Tirkey, (IAS), Additional Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development.<\/li>\n
- Ms Rupa Kapoor, Member, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.<\/li>\n
- N.C. Saxena, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary, Planning Commission and Supreme Court Commissioner for monitoring orders related to the implementation of right to food.<\/li>\n
- Shri A.R. Nanda, IAS (Retd.), former Secretary Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; Chairman of the Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security.<\/li>\n
- Prema Ramachandran, Director, Nutrition Foundation of India.<\/li>\n
- Ms Sushma Shende, Programme Director, Child Health and Nutrition, Society for Nutrition, Education & Health Action (SNEHA).<\/li>\n
- Shweta Khandelwal, Associate Professor, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI).<\/li>\n
- Ms Pallavi Patel, Director & Founding Member at CHETNA (Centre for Health Education Training and Nutrition Awareness).<\/li>\n
- K. Madhavan Nair, Scientist \u2018F\u2019 and Head, Micronutrient Research Group, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.<\/li>\n
- Deepti Gulati, Head of Programs, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).<\/li>\n
- Shri Basanta Kumar Kar, Country Director, Project Concern International.<\/li>\n
- Sujeet Ranjan, Executive Director, The Coalition for Food and Nutrition (Coalition).<\/li>\n
- Avula Laxmaiah, Scientist \u2018F\u2019 and Head, Division of Community Studies, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.<\/li>\n
- Rupal Dalal, Director Health, Shrimati Malati Dahanukar Trust, Mumbai.<\/li>\n
- Manjula Krishnan, IES (Retd), former Principal Adviser to Government of India.<\/li>\n
- Professor Aasha Kapur Mehta, former Professor of Economics, Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Mrs. Meera Satpathy, Founder and Chairperson of Sukarya in her speech said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cNational Family Health Survey (NFHS – 4) 2015-16 data on malnutrition and anaemia shows\u00a0these are massive numbers to deal with and need equally massive response.\u00a0This is a wakeup call for all of us to take a very serious attitude and approach towards those who are working relentlessly in these areas.<\/p>\n
It is a long term need to free women and children from the prevalence of malnutrition in our society. I consider it is a dire need and foremost priority. So, it is the time to act now.\u201d<\/p>\n
As\u00a0per the\u00a0report based on the conference held recently in Delhi on “Public Health and Nutrition \u2013 Freeing Future Generations from Malnutrition,” compiled by\u00a0Sukarya, and was released by\u00a0Shri\u00a0Ashwini\u00a0Kumar\u00a0Choubey, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare,\u00a0more than 40 percent of the world\u2019s stunted children live in India.Stunting\u00a0is the impaired growth and development that\u00a0children\u00a0experience from poor nutrition, repeatedinfectionandinadequate psychosocial stimulation.\u00a0Children\u00a0are defined as\u00a0stunted\u00a0if their height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below theWHOChildGrowthStandards median.<\/p>\n
As per the\u00a0Sukarya\u00a0report, malnutrition estimates are worrying\u00a0as poor nutrition causes 45 percent of the deaths of children below 5 years and India is home to 40 percent of the world\u2019s stunted, impaired\u00a0growth\u00a0and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psychosocial stimulation. Sixty percent\u00a0of the malnutrition burden in the country is in the few states of\u00a0Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar\u00a0Pradesh,\u00a0Andhra\u00a0Pradesh and Maharashtra. \u201cGovernment envisages a healthy\u00a0Ayushman\u00a0Bharat\u00a0\u2013 a disease-free nation not for any political benefit but for the benefit of people of the country. The government and non-government organizations involved in the fight against malnutrition should use more technology in nutrition and health promotion, and for strengthening the indigenous food habits in the field of maternal and child nutrition,\u201d\u00a0said Minister\u00a0Choubey, while releasing the report.<\/p>\n
\u201cSabka\u00a0Saath\u00a0– Saab Ki\u00a0Vikash\u201d can\u2019t be achieved without freeing our future generations from malnutrition and ensuring good health. Keeping in view that women and children are the core target population of the nutrition campaign and health programs,\u00a0he said.\u00a0Commenting on the report findings, Minister Choubey said,\u00a0\u201cWe really applaud the way\u00a0Sukarya\u00a0is working and setting an example to make our country malnutrition-free, especially amongst women and children. We will support\u00a0Sukarya\u00a0in every way we can and appeal to other organizations to come forward and bring the change at large for our countrymen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe report ‘Public Health and Nutrition \u2013 Freeing Future Generations from Malnutrition,’ compiled by NGO\u00a0Sukarya, which has been working towards improving the health and well-being of underprivileged women and children for more than two decades, aims at safeguarding\u00a0women and children from malnutrition and anemia in India. The report also recommends the use of modern available technologies to bridge the major gaps and to promote indigenous food habits in maternal and child health and nutrition,” said Ms.\u00a0Meera\u00a0Satpathy, founder and chairperson of\u00a0Sukarya\u00a0speaking on the occasion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe report also seeks to be used as a platform to bring together the policymakers, civil society organizations, practitioners and experts from the field of nutrition and so to\u00a0synergize\u00a0efforts and strategic local action towards the issue. This could also offer an opportunity to India\u2019s nutrition policy and a broad-based discussion of priorities for nutrition which will be introduced into policy perspectives and programs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is our utmost duty to make our nation,\u00a0especially women and children, free from malnutrition and anemia. Poor nutrition causes 45 percent of deaths amongst children below 5 years of age and the figures are worrisome. I personally feel that it\u2019s the foremost need to work towards making our country malnutrition-free,\u201d\u00a0Ms.\u00a0Satpathy\u00a0added.<\/p>\n
\u2018Sukaya\u00a0is looking forward to scale up and build partnerships with government and other organizations in the areas of maternal child health, nutrition and adolescent reproductive health to achieve national goals through local initiatives. The consultation helped in developing an understanding on various aspects of nutritional and public health\u00a0issues and we would like to run some pilot projects in the states like Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhatishgarh, Jharkhand and\u00a0Bihar,\u201d\u00a0she added.<\/p>\n
After the conference,\u00a0Sukarya\u00a0and the Maternal & Child Health Program at The George Washington University signed a letter of intent to collaborate on future initiatives focused on new and innovative intervention research to improve maternal and child health outcomes while working towards improving the health of women, adolescents and children in India.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>