The Chief Justice had observed that “even one child or person dying of malnutrition in the year 2023, was a deep shame. There must be many more deaths occurring unnoticed in the State and the country”.
Orissa High Court [File Photo]
A month after the Orissa High Court issued directions to the state government to draw an action plan to ensure complete absence of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) children and reduction of Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) children by half in the State, by the end of 2023, the State Cabinet has drawn up a five-year project to eliminate the disturbing health issue at an estimated cost of Rs 3354.40 crore.
It’s pertinent to note here that the high court had directed the state government last month to draw up action to reduce the nutrition deficiency that is adversely affecting the health profile of children and women. The Court had issued the direction while hearing the petition on the plight of teenage children suffering from chronic malnutrition in specific villages in the Jajpur district.
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Chief Justice Dr. S Muralidhar had pulled up the government by observing that officials should not reduce human life to statistics. Expressing deep concern and anguish, the Chief Justice had observed that “even one child or person dying of malnutrition in the year 2023, was a deep shame. There must be many more deaths occurring unnoticed in the State and the country”.
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“The Odisha State Cabinet has approved the “Mukhyamantri Sampoorna Pushti Yojana(MSPY)”, aimed at transforming nutrition outcomes of the adolescent girls (15-19 years), pregnant women & lactating mothers, Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and severely underweight children of under 6 years of age across the state over a period of five years commencing from 2023-24 fiscal with a projected cost of Rs 3354.40 crore”, a statement issued by Chief Secretary’s office said.
Nutritional support such as eggs, ladoos, nutrition supplements, etc. shall be provisioned for all adolescent girls in the age group of 15 -19 years across the State. The Kishori Melas are to be organised at the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) project level for screening of nutritionally at-risk adolescent girls.
Additional Take Home Ration in the form of nutrient rich food products, including millets, additional eggs shall be provided to pregnant women and lactating mothers across the State.
There will be provisioning of augmented Take Home Ration and additional eggs for SAM, MAM and Severely Underweight children, it added.
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