Webinar on Community-based strategies to address Acute Malnutrition in India

Webinar on Community-based strategies to address Acute Malnutrition in India

A National webinar on “Community-based Strategies to address Acute Malnutrition in India” was jointly held on 4th September’20 by the Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security (CFNS) and Paediatric & Adolescent Nutrition Society (PAN SOCIETY) IAP Subspecialty Chapter on Nutrition to highlight the need of bringing SAM management under the fold of essential health and nutrition services.

Since March 2020, due to COVID-19 pandemic, regular ICDS and Health-services have been severely constrained. Optimal care for children, especially those who are malnourished has been disrupted. With COVID-19 outbreak, massive disruptions in continuity of food availability and livelihood are anticipated. The situation may increase the overall SAM burden in the country. The urgent need of this hour is to bring SAM management under the fold of essential health and nutrition services and to ensure continuity of services for the management of child wasting.

The planned webinar aimed to explore the experience of two states that have prioritised management of SAM at community level and learn about how these programs have been adjusted to be relevant even during COVID times. We hope that State Governments can learn from such experiences and take forward such initiatives in their respective states.