Efforts of the of Health and Family Welfare Department to alleviate the condition of malnourished children in Vijayapura district is showing results as the number of such children has declined significantly.
According to officials, the number of malnourished children in the district was 1,206 in 2012, which has now come down to 324. As many as 237 of them are suffering from acute malnourishment and are being given treatment.
Of these 237 children, the highest number are in Vijayapura taluk (85), followed by Indi (64), Sindgi (37), Basavanabagewadi (35), and Muddebihal (16).
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Officials said that in order to reduce the number of malnourished children, several initiatives were taken up in the district though the department and anganwadi workers. The department held special drives and camps in rural areas where most of the children are found to be suffering from malnourishment. With the help of anganwadi workers, malnourished children were identified. Such children were provided with special diet, at anganwadi centres, to improve their nourishment level.
Children found to be suffering from acute malnourishment were referred to daycare centres in government hospitals where they were provided treatment and food. Based on their condition, the children were provided nutritious diet from 15 days to one month. Even the mother of such children were provided food and ₹251/day each as incentive from bringing the children to anganwadis.
Regular monitoring of the children has helped them regain nourishment quickly, the officials said.
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The officials, however, believed that poverty and illiteracy are the main causes of malnourishment. “ We are, however, doing our best to bring down the level of malnourishment in the district,” the officials said.