Dr. Swati Piramal on Outlook Poshan 2.0 #ReachEachChild initiative launched by Outlook and Reckitt.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 On the occasion of World Health Day, we have a prescription for overcoming the nutritional
00:11 challenges in the country.
00:13 So why is a malnutrition problem in India still unresolved?
00:19 Because we look at malnutrition as a health problem.
00:22 Well, on the contrary, it is not just a health problem.
00:27 It is a social problem, and so it requires systems thinking and a community approach
00:32 to combat malnutrition.
00:34 So if I think about the three prescription points to address this challenge, number one,
00:42 strengthen the institutional response.
00:45 We are so heavily dependent on ICDS.
00:49 Different ministries of the government must work in a convergent manner to address undernutrition.
00:55 We need on-field service delivery and improve institutional response.
01:00 Two, strengthen implementation of existing interventions.
01:04 Shortcomings need to be overcome.
01:07 For example, improve the quality and coverage of take-home ration.
01:12 Improve the sharing of real-time nutrition information for designing, implementing, and
01:17 rectifying targeted interventions.
01:20 And make a reward and recognition for those who identify a malnourished child in their
01:26 field area.
01:29 Innovative community-based solutions that bring in the element of community engagement
01:33 and community ownership.
01:35 The solutions must be developed in partnership with communities and keeping their culture
01:40 in mind.
01:41 So you have to engage the community women, panchayat members, youth, school children,
01:48 informal leaders, and influencers.
01:51 And we must bring in technology whenever necessary to provide support.
01:56 For example, why should we depend on a weighing scale or a height meter to measure weight
02:02 and height of a child?
02:03 Can we not have a smartphone-based app that can accurately measure children?
02:10 Given the cross-sectoral role of nutrition, we must adopt a nutrition-sensitive approach
02:16 over nutrition security to leapfrog in our development journey.
02:23 For example, we should invest in agriculture in such a way that it not only boosts production
02:28 and increases income levels, but also supports livelihoods, enhance access to diverse diets
02:36 in poor populations, and foster women's empowerment.
02:41 We should invest in education, especially in adult parenteral education, because we
02:46 know that that is a very important determinant of child undernutrition.
02:51 We should invest more in social safety nets that will enable families to come out of poverty
02:58 and combat malnutrition.
03:00 A nutrition-sensitive approach, therefore, is very complex and requires involvement of
03:06 multiple stakeholders and multiple sectors.
03:10 Our approaches must place importance on facets such as poverty, gender equality, water, sanitation,
03:17 hygiene and behavior change.
03:19 For a nutrition-sensitive model to work, it will require a very high degree of coordination
03:27 at all executive and administrative levels across sectors.
03:31 On this World Health Day, I feel it is important for each one of us to constantly keep reminding
03:37 ourselves that we have a long way to go to achieve our SDG target of zero hunger by 2030.
03:46 Nutrition-specific as well as nutrition-sensitive interventions must go hand in hand to combat
03:52 malnutrition.
03:53 There is a need for governments, communities, civil society, organizations, philanthropists,
04:00 international organizations, and every stakeholder to join hands to ensure that our future generations
04:06 are well nourished, so that our future is in safe and healthy hands.
04:12 I believe that the corporate sector and their CSR investment must go towards innovation.
04:18 Innovation that solves a problem and those that can be scaled up quickly.
04:23 We should use CSR money as risk capital.
04:26 This will help nurture innovators and will ensure that we are ahead of the curve.
04:31 I think the corporate sector can also bring in their processes and people to solve the
04:36 problems.
04:37 The corporate sector can also bring in partners to work on unique problems through their convening
04:43 power.
04:44 Portion 2.0 is a wonderful initiative of the government, bringing together many schemes
04:51 to address malnutrition.
04:53 I strongly believe that this will go a strong way in ensuring convergence and coordination.
05:00 I'd like to end by a verse today from the great Mirza Ghalib.
05:04 "Khuncha phir laga khilne, aaj humne apna dil, khu kiya hu dekha, ghum kiya hua paya."
05:16 "Khuncha phir laga khilne, aaj humne apna dil, khu kiya hua dekha, ghum kiya hua paya."
05:28 [Music]