Chandigarh.23 March,2021:Good nutrition and a healthy childhood is the right of every child. Poshan Pakhwada 2021 has been started with a mission to avail proper nutrition to all and educate everyone about malnourishment, with proper remedial solutions. The Department Of Social Welfare, Child & Women Development Chandigarh Administration has been organising several activities to create awareness regarding healthy lifestyle and nutritious diets. The public is being engaged with the help of these activities and have been receiving information and aids, continuously with the help of the Department.
Yoga has qualitative benefits for all, and it helps in maintaining physical health. The Department provides awareness by organising “Yoga For Health “ camps around the city. The people who participate in the process are given not only yoga poses best suited for their health, according to their medical conditions or specific body needs, such as improving malnutrition. The “Yoga For Health” camps were organized in Daddu Majra and Ramdarbar, wherein the beneficiaries were taught and encouraged to practice yoga daily.
A Fancy Dress Competition was organized at Mauli Jagran, where the beneficiaries were engaged in important discussion about the importance of nutrition in the growing years of children. The competition was dedicated to the theme of nutrition, focused on the education of the parents. Awareness drives were conducted across the city to empower the public with the help of appropriate information. The beneficiaries and spectators were made aware about the COVID-19 Vaccination, home remedies for nourishment of at home and use of green leafy vegetables for increasing nutrients in the blood circulation.
A number of lectures were organized around the city with a large number of beneficiaries with volunteer work of Angwadi Workers. Needs of supplements, importance of Balanced Diet during pregnancy, importance of the first 1000 days of an infant and advantages of iron-rich foods. These lectures were delivered to educate the common masses in regard to the severity of malnutrition.
Youth group meeting was organized to encourage youth to choose nutritious food over any other; and Mother Group Meeting on Breastfeeding also took place to educate young mothers informing them that their act of breastfeeding can safe their child from malnourishment and that it can only happen when they too take a healthy and nutritious diet. Antenatal check-ups of pregnant women were done and follow up was taken of SAM Children to know whether they needed any kind of additional care.
Home visits continued to be conducted by Anganwadi Workers, with various objectives such as registration of newly pregnant women, counseling and help of SAM children and creating awareness on health and sanitation all over the 450 Anganwadi Centres. The notion of the importance of poshan is being increasingly received by the public with the enthusiasm and activities continued by the Poshan Pakhwada 2021.
