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The Government of Maharashtra recognized our COVID-19 response and relief efforts
Recognizing the Unsung Heroes: Sachin Sharma Honoured for his Efforts in Improving Nutrition and Health Services in Rajasthan
Leading the charge with important stakeholders, to tackle malnutrition in Rajasthan.
Action Against Hunger India organized a day long consultation in Jaipur to discuss and analyze policy options on the issues of malnutrition in Rajasthan. The discussion was attended by various representatives from government department, development organizations, and Panchayati Raj representatives. The consultation was addressed by Mr. Naveen Jain, Secretary Panchayati Raj Department and Mr. Ramavtar Meena, Director ICDS Rajasthan.
The state level consultation discussed in detail the ways to improve child malnutrition and maternal health in Rajasthan. While welcoming the guests, Action Against Hunger India’s CEO Mr. Vinay Iyer said, that ‘this consultation will serve as a platform for development partners and agencies to come together and deliberate on the strategies to address child malnutrition in Rajasthan.’ He also emphasized on having an open and honest dialogue on the issue of child malnutrition in the state and at the national level.
Addressing the consultation, Mr. Naveen Jain, Secretary Panchayati Raj highlighted various issues related to nutrition sensitive programming and localization of Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). He said that in Rajasthan there is a conducive environment that can help defeat severe malnutrition in a time-bound manner. He highlighted the learning and success of Naya Savera project being implemented in Baran district of Rajasthan and emphasized that the project must be replicated by all the district. Naya Savera project identifies severely malnourished children and links them with targeted services like Energy Dense Nutrition Supplement (EDNS) that can help severely malnourished children overcome malnutrition in a timely manner.
Mr. Ramavtar Meena, Director ICDS applauded development partners for their contribution towards maternal and child health and development. He also emphasized on the need of undertaking a holistic approach to address child malnutrition as in addition to issues like poverty and underdevelopment, other dietary, environmental, and care-seeking factors also play crucial role in determining child and maternal health. He hoped that the proposed consultation that plans to bring together partners from various departments and development agencies will compliment the government’s efforts towards eradicating child malnutrition.
Mr. Subodh Kumar Jha, EVP & Chief of Human Resources & Management Services, SBI Life Insurance, said, “While our country is facing a major malnutrition crisis amongst children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. It is extremely humbling to see our efforts invoking overwhelming support from the entire ecosystem. Senior government functionaries, development organizations, NGO partners, Panchayati Raj representatives, corporate India, every stakeholder has converged for solving the very real problem of malnutrition in the country. We sincerely hope that such progressive efforts can catalyse change to make the nation realise its dream of a malnourishment-free India by 2030.”
He further added, ” We are glad to have received this opportunity through our CSR Partner, Action Against Hunger (AAH) to concentrate our efforts towards the larger cause. As by eradicating malnourishment we can truly liberate individuals to pursue their dreams and aspirations, by enabling every child to develop to their full potential.
Other than the senior government officials and department representatives, various development organizations such as UNICEF, Aravali, IPE Global, ActionAid, Evidence Action, Mamta, Piramal Swasthya, KPMG, The Hunger Project, and others also participated and shared their learning during the consultation. It was reiterated that sarpanches have a larger role to play in ensuring that not even a single child remains malnourished. The participants also talked about ways to strengthen village level planning, using Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) to strengthen nutrition services, as well as supporting various village level bodies like VHNDs, VCDCs, and VHCs, etc.
Action Against Hunger pushed for the various needs identified during their program implementation including the availability of functional anthropometric equipment at Anganwadi Centers, sensitization the community on the consumption of Take-Home Ration (THR), and involving communities as key stakeholders in eradicating malnutrition.
Teaming up with Mary Kom & Rani Rampal to eradicate malnutrition
Champions for Change: Mary Kom & Rani Rampal Collaborate with Action Against Hunger India to promote health and well-being among women and children in India
Mumbai : May 30, 2023 – Action Against Hunger India has collaborated with Indian sports icon, MC Mary Kom, London 2012 Olympics Bronze Medalist & Former Hockey Captain Rani Rampal to promote the overall health and well-being of women and children in India. The collaboration will contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2 of Zero Hunger by 2030, which aims to eradicate hunger and malnutrition worldwide. The collaboration will focus on creating a positive impact on the lives of countless women and children through creating awareness on these issues and promoting solutions.
According to the recent statistics, malnutrition remains a major public health problem in India, affecting millions of children under the age of five and girls and women. Despite India successfully curbing the issue of hunger and making significant progress in reducing wasting among children in the past few decades, much work still needs to be done to knock-out the issues impeding India’s growth story.
Announcing the collaboration, Vinay Iyer, the Chief Executive Officer of Action Against Hunger India said, “We are grateful to have the support of Mrs. MC Mary Kom the very best example of what women can achieve when given equal opportunities. As we work towards building a healthy India by eradicating the menace of malnutrition among children and mothers and world is nearing the deadline to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we need to have a strategy to counter undernutrition effectively.
To ensure a healthier and brighter future for all children in our country, it is crucial to prioritize and address the critical issues causing undernourishment. By taking decisive action to tackle these issues, we can help our children fully realize their potential and pave the way for achieving the ambitious goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
MC Mary Kom & Rani Rampal, prominent champions of social causes, have joined forces to promote the importance of healthy living for the betterment of society in the past also. In partnering with Action Against Hunger India they aim to encourage action against malnutrition.
“Ensuring a healthy and bright future for our children should be our first priority’”, said MC Mary Kom. “I believe that we all have a responsibility to help our disadvantaged children and their parents to ensure that our children have access to opportunities and level-playing field. I am excited to be working with Action Against Hunger India to make a difference in the lives of these children.”
Expressing her excitement about the partnership, Rani Rampal said, “I am truly honored to join forces with Action Against Hunger. As an athlete, I understand the significance of proper nutrition in achieving optimal performance and realizing one’s potential. It is disheartening to witness the devastating impact of hunger and malnutrition on millions of lives, particularly among children. Through this association, I aim to contribute towards a world where every individual has access to nutritious food and the opportunity to thrive.”
About Action Against Hunger India
At Action Against Hunger, we drive change from the ground up, to make this world free from hunger.
Since inception in 1979, we have led the global fight against hunger. Our work impact more than 26 million lives every year, through a network of 8000 humanitarian professionals across 50 countries. In India, our operations from the grassroots upwards, are focused on taking decisive action against the causes and effects of malnutrition. We equip people with knowledge and awareness, so they can see their children grow up strong, and for whole communities to prosper.
Our programs cover 1265 villages across four states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat with a multidisciplinary approach to tackle malnutrition among children.
With our First 1000 Days plus of life model, which is based on preventative care, we aim to break the cycle of malnutrition during pregnancy and in the early years of a child’s life. As a whole, our interventions aim to improve access to knowledge on food security and ways to combat malnutrition, health and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
To know more about us, visit www.actionagainsthunger.in
For further information contact:
Melwyn Sequeira
Director – Resource Mobilisation & Communications
msequeira@actionagainsthunger.in
Rhea Mathews
Manager – Communications
rmathews@actionagainsthunger.in
Community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) in India
Nutrition Champion’s Orientation Workshop
Action Against Hunger Joins Generation Nutrition Campaign
Action Against Hunger is delighted to be a member of the Generation Nutrition campaign, an advocacy campaign calling on governments and the international community to take urgent action to prioritize the fight against acute malnutrition and save the lives of millions of children under the age of five.
This campaign brings together a diverse and growing group of civil society organizations who wish to see an end to child deaths from acute malnutrition. The campaign is based on the belief that, with strong political will, our goal of a world free of child deaths from acute malnutrition can be achieved within a generation.
Earlier this year, in Delhi, Action Against Hunger, along with Action Against Hunger, Save the Children, Water Aid and World Vision brought together different stakeholders on a common platform to agree on an “Appeal for action” to urge the Government of India to take action and save the lives of millions of children with severe acute malnutrition.
Find out more about this exciting global campaign here
Local Improvements To Malnutrition Treatment
Action Against Hunger conducts a Study to test a new energy-dense food for malnourished children
India holds the regrettable record of being home to one of four children in the world who are affected by the worst form of undernutrition.
The treatment of this Severe Acute Malnutrition ( SAM) involves the use of energy dense therapeutic food, the ingredients of which includes milk powder, sugar, micronutrients and peanut paste. Being an expensive product and unaffordable by the vulnerable community, Action Against Hunger led a study to research the formulation of a recipe, with locally available ingredients such as lentils, oats, vegetable oils and a certain blend of vitamins and minerals which would be affordable and help treat more children of this devastating condition.
There was a special focus to research on the acceptability factor- did children like this new recipe ? Did they ask for more ? Were there any adverse effects, and did the child bounce back to health ? The study was conducted in Baran district of Rajasthan and the results would suggest a recommendation on the usage of this low priced Medical Nutrition Therapy to reduce the burden of Severely Malnourished children in India. For more details on this report please write to aiyer@fighthungerfoundation.org
Get Involved With Us To Support A Child In Need | Action Against Hunger
Mumbai, 20 June 2018:
The Dawoodi Bohra community, in partnership with Action Against Hunger, launched Project Rise at Govandi, Mumbai. Project Rise aims to contribute towards alleviating hunger in some of the poorest parts of India and significantly raise health and nutrition levels of children suffering from severe malnutrition.
Project Rise will begin by supporting families in Mokhada and Govandi, immediately impacting the lives of impoverished families and creating the possibility for brighter and healthier futures. The word ‘rise’ in the initiative’s very name illustrates the ultimate purpose of this project: to help raise the less fortunate and disenfranchised of our societies to higher plateaus of material and spiritual well-being, and to inspire the more fortunate among us to rise to the occasion by contributing their time, resources and passion to this cause.Mr. Yusuf Mukarram of Project Rise commented, “His Holiness Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, lays great emphasis on the need to show kindness to the less fortunate and to help those in need. Syedna has often stated that those in need and those who come to their aid both ‘rise’ as a result of helping one another. As a result of this guidance, Dawoodi Bohra communities have established social programs all over the world targeted at improving and uplifting the human condition. The launch of Project Rise in Mumbai will focus resources on combating malnutrition and providing mothers, caregivers and local health workers with disease prevention techniques. The primary aim being to ensure healthy futures for children. ”
The launch of Project Rise coincided with Eid Celebrations in the community of Govandi. A special Eid meal was organized by Faiz al-Mawaid al-Burhaniyah – the Dawoodi Bohra community kitchen program – Over 100 men, women and children from Umerkhadi and Sathe Nagar were hosted. Families also enjoyed a skit called ‘Nukkad Natak’ performed by local artists with a message of improving health and nutrition.
Mr. Mukarram continued, “That so many children in Mumbai suffer from malnutrition is both tragic and ironic given that this city is the financial hub of our country. The Dawoodi Bohra community is convinced that all of us can and must do more to reduce child mortality rates related to malnutrition and preventable diseases. That is why we are joining forces with Action Against Hunger to create Project Rise. I urge everyone in Mumbai to support our cause in the fight against malnutrition as we strive to create a hunger-free India.”
Nearly one in four children risk being severely malnourished in Govandi and Mokhada. Young children in Govandi, with low immunity levels, are particularly susceptible to infections due to air pollution from the Deonar dumping ground. This can lead to loss of appetite, rapid weight loss, malnutrition and the risk of mortality.
Dr Wasundhara Joshi, Executive Director and member of the Board of Action Against Hunger, commented, “In order to truly succeed in our global goal of eradicating hunger by 2030, strategic alliances and innovative partnerships are more vital than ever. We’re delighted that the Dawoodi Bohra community has come forward to support families and be a part of our lifesaving community interventions.”
