The Srinagar administration Saturday organised asensitisation programme on the national nutrition mission known as the POSHANAbhiyaan for officers and officials of concerned departments.

The programme was organised with Deputy CommissionerSrinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary in chair.

The programme included a range of relevant topics aimed atsensitising the concerned about the aspects of the national nutrition missionand its importance.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Krishan Sidha who isalso the District Programme Officer ICDS Srinagar highlighted the objectives ofthe mission and the need for joint efforts through convergence of concerneddepartments in order to ensure its successful implementation.

He highlighted the need for a multi-pronged strategyinvolving convergence, use of technology, intensified health and nutritionservices for first 1000 days and mission-mode implementation involving fieldworkers, community and PRIs.

The session also touched upon key issues in childhoodnutrition and interventions required to deal with them like home-based infantcare and a comprehensive primary healthcare mechanism.

The need for Poshan Maah Jan Andolan activities bydepartments various departments including Women & Child Development, SocialWelfare, Health & Family Welfare, School, Education & Learning,Panchayat Raj, AYUSH and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship was alsoemphasised in the programme.

The sensitisation programme also included a session onnutrition and what constitutes a balanced nutrition and its importance inprevention of malnutrition.

Food Safety Officer Srinagar Nadiya Malik speaking on theoccasion gave a detailed information about nutrients found in foods and theirclassification and emphasised the importance of balanced diet and nutrition.

She explained the difference between undernutrition andmalnutrition and how these lead different kinds of diseases like kwashiorkorand marasmus in children.

The session also included information about dietary sourcesand foods and daily intake requirements of macronutrients and micronutrients.

Chief Medical Officer Srinagar Dr Talat Jabeen also spoke onoccasion highlighting different ongoing programmes of the Health departmentaimed at awareness and reduction and prevention of malnutrition in thedistrict. She said a lot of programmes also focus on adolescent girls andpregnant and lactating women in order to address the issue of malnutrition in aholistic manner.