The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has called for ushering a nutrition revolution in the county by creating women nutrition-warriors or change leaders at the hamlet level.Addressing the gathering after presenting the Outlook Poshan Awards 2019 under the “Outlook Speak out-Poshan” program on nutrition, organised by Outlook India, here today, the Vice President said the change leaders must create awareness and provide counseling by visiting every home in villages and hamlets in rural areas.Shri Naidu also called for a national movement on the lines of Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyaan and other similar schemes to eliminate the scourge of malnutrition and other nutrition-related problems.The Vice President stressed the need for a special focus on pregnant and lactating mothers to build future potential and see a new generation of citizens endowed with maximum physical and mental potentiality.Shri Naidu also urged media and cinema, the powerful communication tools of modern society, to create awareness on the importance of nutrition. Besides the government, the society at large also has responsibility in addressing the problem of malnutrition. “We need to change the mindset and outlook of the people”, he added.Describing India as a young nation with 65 per cent of the people under the age of 35 years, the Vice President said that their health and wellbeing was crucial for India to fast-track progress and achieves its rightful place in the comity of nations. He said that nutrition was essential for a healthy immune system and higher-order cognitive ability.
The Vice President said that problems such as micronutrients deficiency could be addressed by promoting naturally bio-fortified crops like minor millets, amla and drumstick. “Micronutrients deficiency results in low productivity, poor cognitive and physical development. We need to address this through supplementation, food fortification and dietary diversity,” he added.Expressing his expressed concern that 38.4 percent of children below the age of five years were stunted in India, Shri Naidu said that empowerment of the present and future generations should be the top priority for the country.Pointing out that hunger and obesity were the double burden of malnutrition, the Vice President called upon all stakeholders and policymakers in the health sector to immediately focus combating the problem.Calling for building on the best practices and models to eradicate malnutrition, he said the government and development partners must come together on a common platform to work for this national cause.The Vice President urged the corporate sector to allocate more funds under CSR for nutrition-related interventions. He also wanted Parliamentarians to utilize MPLAD funds for similar activities and suggested that MNREGA scheme could also focus on nutrition-related activities like nutri-gardens/kitchen gardens on community lands.The Vice President observed that Indian food and diet system, with their diversity, promote good nutrition and wanted the people, particularly the youngsters to shun eating junk food. “Instant food means constant disease”, he cautioned.Shri Naidu, while stressing the need for immunization to prevent children from falling prey to various dangerous diseases, lauded the Government’s “Mission Indradhanush" program to improve immunization coverage.The Editor-in-Chief, Outlook, Shri Ruben Banerjee, the CEO, Outlook, Shri Indranil Roy and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.