Departments conduct seminar on national nutrition scheme

Dimapur, Sep. 12 (EMN): A seminar on the national nutrition programme ‘Rashtriya Poshan Abhiyan’ organised by the department of Social Welfare, Health & Family Welfare, and the PHED department was conducted on Sep. 12 at Diphupar in Dimapur.

The government publicity agency the department of Information and Public Relations (IPR) issued a report to the media on Wednesday informing about the seminar and related events.

Medical officer Dr. Michelle; sanitation and hygiene consultant Imojungla Longkumer and district coordinator Limasenla Walling were the resource persons of the programme.

Dr. Michelle, no surname given in the report, spoke about health and nutrition highlighting the importance of nutrition for pregnant mothers, lactating mothers and adolescent girls. Likewise, she talked about the importance of breastfeeding and vaccination, calories, protein, folic acid, iron, calcium, iodine and its sources, the IPR stated.

Imojungla Longkumer talked on the topic on basic sanitation and health practices. She highlighted the importance of safe drinking water, safe disposal of liquid and solid waste, and safe water source besides personal hygiene.

Likewise, Limasenla Walling gave a presentation about the ‘Poshan Abhiyan.’ She said that the ministry of Women and Child Development was implementing the program which has a number of schemes directly or indirectly affecting the nutritional status of children of the age group 0-6 years, pregnant mothers, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls.

The resource person said that the mission targets to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia among young children, adolescents and women, the IPR stated.

Medziphema

In Medziphema, near Dimapur, the ‘block convergence plan for committee’ and the Medziphema administration organised a similar programme for adolescents, the IPR stated. Essay writing and quiz competitions for school girls was conducted on September 12 in the town hall of Medziphema, updates stated.

Child Development Project Officer Tsungrosongla spoke at the event. In her keynote address, she gave an over view of the Rashtriya Poshan Maah and its main objective. She explained the problems of malnutrition in targeted groups like children of the age group 0-6 years, and of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating mothers and how to eradicate malnutrition ‘in the right way for health and nutrition,’ the IPR stated.

Guest speaker Dr. Moakhala Changkiri of the SASRD also educated the girls about importance of nutrition, the consequences of consuming unhealthy diet which result in unhealthy body conditions like obesity, osteoporosis, anaemia etc, the IPR reported.

Changkiri was stated to have emphasised on maintaining hygiene. She briefed the school girls on the importance of healthy food and key nutritional behaviours, and addressed topics about the importance of menstrual hygiene and sanitation.

Altogether five schools participated in the quiz competition on health nutrition and essay competition. In the quiz, SFS bagged the first position, while the second prize went to CBMS school. The third prize went to King David School.

In the essay competition, the first and second prize went to SFS school while Rivenburg School took the third prize. Winners and participants were given prize money and certificates, the IPR added.