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The three-day Regional Ministerial Consultation on Food and Nutrition ended here today with the adoption of The Delhi Declaration on Maternal and Child Nutrition in Asia. The Declaration emphasizes that reducing malnutrition is central to poverty reduction strategy. It calls for the need to mainstream nutrition into all aspects of poverty eradication programmes. “Nutrition is the responsibility not only of Ministries of Health Coordination among different ministries is essential for achieving implementation of strategies aimed at mothers and children. We shall, therefore, share the information acquired through this consultation on the cost of malnutrition to society, and emphasize the need for an integrated approach to relevant Ministries for necessary action.”
The Declaration contains 17 points of action by the participating countries. It calls upon the United Nations, National Governments, Non-Governmental organizations and private sector partners to focus on real change and support nutrition interventions in the region. “Solving nutritional problems requires political commitment and additional efforts and resources targeted at poor people”, the Declaration says.
The Declaration calls for the need to focus on activities that prevent malnutrition of both mothers and children by assuring access to adequate and safe food for all households for a healthy and productive life. “Mother and child-centered investments are feasible, cost-effective and clearly underpin national economic growth. Many policy and programme instruments exist for preventing malnutrition, but to implement them it is essential to ensure outreach of services and resources to remote, rural areas where populations prone to malnutrition are concentrated.”
Delivering the valedictory address, the Minister for Human Resource Development Shri Arjun Singh said that Government of India is planning a huge expansion of the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme that provides a comprehensive set of services comprising supplementary nutrition, early childhood education, immunization, health check-up, medical referral services, nutrition and health education of women. The outlays of scope of several other schemes benefiting women and children are being enhanced, he said. “These will impact positively on the nutritional status of women and children. The Reproductive and Child Health Programme has been successful in providing a range of health services and micronutrient supplements to adolescent girls, pregnant women, infants and young children throughout the country.”
Addressing the gathering the Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Kanti Singh said “ Working closely together and sharing experiences can help establish cost-effective strategies for reducing the burden of malnutrition that cut across national boundaries. This consultation has convinced me that together we can meet the complex challenges that lie ahead of us.”
During the course of the deliberations during the three days, delegates delivered statements on behalf of their respective countries, namely, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philipines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam.
The consultation was organized jointly by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India and the United Nations World food Programme. It was the first inter-ministerial regional conference on maternal child nutrition held in India.
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