Dimapur, Sep. 9 (EMN): With an aim to ensure better health for the citizens, the Horticulture department observed the National Nutrition week from Sept. 1 to 7, under the theme “Better Child Health.”
A weeklong programme was observed with the objective to create awareness generation on importance of nutrition for health which impacts on productivity, economic growth and national development. The targeted group of people for the awareness programme were women and children from various churches and primary schools.
Deputy Director of Horticulture S Senka Jamir, in his key note address stated that nutrition was not only health and development but also an issue of survival for present and succeeding generations. Malnutrition was not to be viewed merely as an offshoot of poverty having adverse effects on health and development but as a national problem that results in loss of productivity and economic backwardness.
Jamir urged that every pregnant and lactating woman should eat healthy and balanced diet from the day of conception to nourish the growing foetus and to build optimal body reserves in preparation for breast feeding.To address the problem of malnutrition among women and children, he said it was time to create a movement to improve nutrition and that could be undertaken in ‘Mission Mode’ approach.
The main resource person for the Nutrition awareness campaign Research Officer Senti Longchar encouraged every household to maintain a kitchen garden for vegetable and fruits in order to meet the nutritional demand of the family. He also briefed the important nutrition contents of fruits and vegetables.
Highlighting on the importance of having a diet full of fruits and vegetables, Longchar added that such green food are a good sources of vitamin and minerals that are important for blood pressure and sugar regulation, bone formation, energy production, immune system function, muscle contraction, red blood cell formation, reproduction, hormone balance and improvement of nervous system in our body.
The programme concluded with distribution of fruits and fruit juices to the participants along with reading materials.
