Bal Sanjivani Abhiyan from Thursday

Bhopal, May 14: Twelfth phase of Bal Sanjivani Abhiyan would get underway throughout the state from May 15 for bringing down level of malnutrition among children. The campaign 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.

Large-scale arrangements have been made for smooth conduct of Bal Sanjivani Abhiyan with the cooperation of Health Department officials and representatives of UNICEF at the district level. The action plan for this campaign has been chalked out on the lines of vaccination programme of Health Department. Prior to implementation of the campaign a core group headed by the collector was constituted. The core group has chalked out strategy for the 12th phase on the basis of facts and figures of 11th phase.

During the campaign, 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.

Counselling camps would be organised at every sector of child development projects. Counselling would be given to parents or guardians of malnourished children about health, education, diet, sanitation, breastfeeding, clean potable water and dangers of increase in the level of malnutrition. Instructions have been issued that parents of malnourished children of first and second categories must be called to these camps where experts and paediatricians would chalk out personal diet chart of every seriously malnourished child and give counselling to children's parents.

Five Anganwadi centres in each sector would be identified which are affected by malnutrition most. Special action plan would be chalked to scale down level of malnutrition. Like counselling camps, experts would give counseling at these centres also. During Bal Sanjivani Week to be held in May and November, tablets of vitamin-A and de-worming would be administered on experts' advice to children from nine months to five years of age. Distribution of iron folic acid tablets among girls, expectant mothers and children would also be ensured.

Wazan Melas (Fair for weighing children) which are held every six months under Bal Sanjivani Abhiyan would be observed as Bal Sanjivani Week and would be organised from first to seventh day of the month. Children would be weighed in front of their parents. Grade of malnourished children would be calculated on the spot and their parents would be given counselling. Weight of children would be written down on Mother and Child Security Card as well as on regular increase monitoring chart. Similarly, levels of malnutrition would also be reviewed.