Haryana implements nutrition policy for women, children

Haryana Government has implemented the State Nutrition Policy for Women and Children to improve the nutritional status of adolescent girls and women in the state.
The policy aims to develop an integrated and multi-sectoral strategy to reduce the number of moderately underweight children in 0-5 years of age by 10 per cent over a period of 5 years, and the number of severely underweight children in the same age group by 50 per cent, an official spokesperson said.
She said that the goal is also to achieve reduction in incidence of low birth weight by 10 per cent by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan.

It also aims to eliminate blindness due to deficiency of vitamin A and reduction in Bitot's Spot in children and reduction in iron deficiency anaemia among women, pregnant women and children by 20 per cent, she said.
Similarly, reduction of iodine deficiency disorder-Goitre prevention, improvement in full immunisation coverage of children, early marriage, delay of pregnancy till age of 20 years, infant and young child feeding and hygiene, promotion of institutional deliveries are among other goals to be achieved, the spokesperson said.
She said that a State Nutrition Council would be constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister and ministers and experts as member to coordinate, guide and review the implementation of the policy.