Twelfth phase of Bal Sanjivani Abhiyan

Bhopal, May 07: Twelfth phase of Bal Sanjivani Abhiyan would get underway throughout the state from May 15. The campaign aiming at reducing the level of malnutrition among children and to be conducted by Woman and Child Development Department would continue up to June 15, 2008.

The implementation report of the campaign would be submitted by districts at directorate level by June 30, 2008. In a letter to all the district collectors, Chief Secretary Rakesh Sahni has instructed them to set the target of malnutrition reduction during this phase, chalk out a detailed action plan for their respective districts, implement it effectively and monitor the same constantly. This information was given by Commissioner Woman and Child Development Ms Kalpana Shrivastava here on Wednesday.

Commissioner Ms Shrivastava informed that an action plan would be chalked out with the help of Health Department officials and representatives of UNICEF for better implementation of Bal Sanjivani Abhiyan at the district level. The Health Department has been told to prepare the action plan on the lines of vaccination programme. Prior to implementation of the campaign a core group headed by the collector would be constituted. The core group would chalk out strategy for the 12th phase on the basis of facts and figures of 11th phase.

During the 12th phase, all the children up to five years of age would be weighed for identifying their respective level of malnutrition. Children of third and fourth grade found to be suffering from serious malnutrition would be sent for treatment to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre. Necessary steps would be undertaken during the 12th phase of the campaign to bring third and fourth grade undernourished children to general grade and save them from falling under those categories again. Besides, children from nine months to five years of age would be administered vitamin-A and de-worming tablets on expert's advice. Under the campaign, health check-up camps would be held under Project Muskan after weighing the children. Under Bal Shakti Yojana, seriously malnourished children would be referred every month to Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres. They would be weighed every two weeks and kept under constant watch.