Ministries of AYUSH, WCD sign MoU to eradicate malnutrition

New Delhi, Sep 20: A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Women and Child Development today in New Delhi for controlling Malnutrition as a part of POSHAN Abhiyaan. The MoU will see some time-tested and scientifically proven Ayush-based solutions being adopted for controlling malnutrition in the country.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH and Ram Mohan Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development signed the MOU in the presence of Smriti Zubin Irani, Minister for WCD. Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of AYUSH joined the ceremony through Video Conference.

Smt. Irani, addressing the gathering said that the collaboration of efforts of both the ministries will go a long way in tackling the problem of malnutrition in mothers and children in the country. She said that Nutri-gardens and medicinal gardens will be established in every Anganwadi in near future.

On this occasion, Shripad Naik said that Ayurveda and other AYUSH systems have much to contribute in dealing with mild and moderate mal-nutrition by way of many specific measures such as right intake of diet by the pregnant women, feeding practices by lactating mothers, use of traditional products augmenting milk secretion, nutritional food for children etc. He further said that India enjoys the distinction of having the largest network of traditional health care systems which are widely accepted owing to its wide accessibility, affordability, safety and trust of people. This has given the ministry leverage to integrate relevant system of medicine where it has wider acceptance.

As a major outcome of the MOU, the Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of WCD would be working together towards integrating Ayush in POSHAN Abhiyaan and management of malnutrition through the principles and practices of Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush systems. POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission is Government of India’s flagship programme under Ministry of Women & Child Development to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

The specific areas identified for co-operation include: (i) Integration of AYUSH into POSHAN Abhiyaan and (ii) Control of malnutrition through the principles and practices of Ayurveda, Yoga and other Ayush systems.