Nutrition for child-ठुलो मान्छे हुनुHimani Trust
Nutrition for child-ठुलो मान्छे हुनु
Only 47 percent children aged 6-23 months are receiving diversified diets and 36 percent of them receive a minimum acceptable diet according to UNICEF. More than 10% of children are wasted or Pudke due to malnutrition.
Newborns, children, adolescents, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are at high risk of malnutrition and food insecurity. According to a Nepal Public Health Survey in 2011, one in every 20 children dies before the age of 12 months and one in sixteen children dies before 5 years of age because of malnutrition. At least twelve percentage of the children are born low weight. Not only children, mother is equally suffering from malnutrition during pregnancy and after giving the birth to the children. Most children with wasting are in the remote hills of Midwest and Far West regions, considered the poorest areas nationwide, severe acute malnutrition, the situation is worse in the southern fertile plains bordering India. Acute respiratory infections and diarrhea, Nepal’s leading causes of deaths among children under age five, are linked to acute malnutrition.
USAID’s research claims that high rate of food shortages caused undernutrition, mostly affecting vulnerable women and children in the hills and mountains of the mid- and far-western regions. 41% of children under five face stunting in general but 60% in the western hill reason. Children are facing stunting, underweight, and wasting. Children in food-insecure households have rates up to 49 percent stunting. Micronutrient deficiencies are widespread, with almost half of pregnant women and children under five, as well as 35 percent of women of reproductive age being anemic. 76% children do not have access to iron-rich food. Only half of pregnant women take recommended iron supplementation during pregnancy.
Malnutrition damages every system of the biological body by increasing vulnerability to illness, increased complications in health and eventually death. It reduces the immune system of body so any disease can harm the human body. It can damage muscles, kidneys, reproduction system, brain, digestion system etc. Generally, following deficiencies are found among Nepali while dealing with malnutrition: Vitamin A deficiency (causes blindness), Iron deficiency (causes anemia), Vitamin B12 deficiency (causes skin problem and damage immune system), vitamin c (causes scurvy).
Cultural and traditional food of Nepal has an ample portion of nutrition if it is prepared and consumed accordingly. Nepal’s regular grains such as rice (Chamal), makai (maize), Fapar, kodo (Millet), Gahun (Wheat), Jau (barley ), ….etc has ample nutritional value. Despite that the majority of rural children are malnourished. It is found that the children are also equally consuming various market products which can cause various health consequences.
Having above backdrop, Himani Trust would like to produce locally made food composition which provides a necessary nutrient to children and pregnant mothers. Locally produced raw materials from local grains will be used. Himani Trust will also train some women for the production of the nutrient composition in different parts of Nepal. Women-led cooperative groups will be invited for partnership and promotion of the idea in different corners of Nepal.
- Making a list of nutrient grains, their composition, recipe’s etc..
- Producing broacher and handbook
- Mapping of women–led cooperative groups
- Establishment of a production plant
- National level conference for networking among women-led cooperatives
- Orientation on producing and distributing the locally made nutrient packs
- Production and distribution
- Training and expansion in various corners of the country.
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