The Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) Shillong, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting yesterday celebrated Rashtriya Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month) 2024 by organising an outreach programme on nutrition at Jaidoh village in West Khasi Hills District. The programme also marked the ongoing nationwide campaign, Swachhata Hi Seva.
In order to mark the closing ceremony of Nutrition Month 2024 and sensitise the public on all government schemes focusing on promoting health, CBC Shillong organised the programme in collaboration with District Programme Officer of ICDS Nongstoin, line departments such as Department of Health and Family Welfare, Community and Rural Development, Horticulture and Office of the Child Development Project Officer (ICDS Cell).
The focus was on improving the nutritional status of women, pregnant and lactating mothers, and children below six years as well as adolescent girls. Running from September 1 to 30, the seventh National Nutrition Month focused on issues such as anaemia, growth monitoring, and complementary feeding while also integrating technology for improved governance.
The campaign highlighted environmental sustainability through the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” (One Tree in Mother’s Name) initiative, promoting tree planting across all Anganwadi centres. So far, approximately 12 crore activities have been conducted during this Nutrition Month by various states and union territories.
Highlighting the importance of Nutrition Mission, the chief guest Evanmi Lyngdoh, Extra Assistant Commissioner, West Khasi Hills urged the public to actively engage in all the activities under the campaign. He mentioned that the development of a government scheme in any village is possible if the inhabitants are healthy and one can be healthy if one is being nurtured right from the time of conception.
Nutrition Mission is the scheme that focuses on improving the health status of an individual right from its time of conception, he reiterated. Lyngdoh also encouraged the public to follow the dietary recommendations issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Olivia Nongbri, District Programme Officer (ICDS-Cell) stressed on the importance of “eating wisely,” nutritious food available locally, constituents of food, food diversity and the importance of the health of children, women and adolescent girls for a brighter society.
She also announced about a pamphlet that is being prepared by their office on the “Constituents of Food, Meal Plan, Dietary Recommendations,” which was released on the occasion.
The outreach event included various cultural programmes and activities. The competition on healthy mother and child focusing on the first 1000 days, display of healthy and nutritious food by the Anganwadi workers, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Self-Help Groups were the main highlights.
A health check-up and anaemia testing for pregnant women, children and adolescent girls were conducted by the staff of Nongkynjang Health and Wellness Centre under the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
ICDS beneficiaries belonging to the age group 3-6 years, students of St. Anthony’s Higher Secondary School, Jaidoh, and members of SHGs took part in the cultural songs and dance, hence making the day more alive and merry.
The programme also felicitated field functionaries – Anganwadi workers and lady supervisors of two districts – West KhasiHills and East West Khasi Hills – for their outstanding contribution towards uplifting the health and nutrition of women and children in the villages.
Prizes were distributed among the winners of different competitions and financial assistance to one family having children, which falls under Severely Acute Malnutrition, was handed so as to enable the family to avail nutritious food to the children.
Baiahunlang Rynjah, Child Development Project Officer, Nongstoiñ briefed the objective of the programme whereby at the very outset she welcomed all the invitees and briefed the objective of the program.
Gopajit Das, Media and Communications Officer, Shillong expressed his happiness to witness the massive participation of the people in the program and encourage all line departments to continue organising programs in the interior villages so as to be able to reach to the public at the last mile.
The programme also had resource persons from the Health Department represented by R Nongsiej, Lady Health Visitor in which she stressed the main root cause of anaemia, its causes, symptoms and preventive measures.
With the rise of rabies cases occurring in the State, Nongsiej also sensitises the people about the danger caused by rabies, its symptoms as well as preventive measures.
She also encouraged all pet owners to be more responsible and get their pets and all livestock vaccinated timely to avoid any alarming health issues likely to be caused by them. The programme ended with a vote of thanks from D M Syiemlieh, Lady Supervisor, ICDS, Nongstoiñ.
