Towards Malnutrition - Free Tamil Nadu
India has a federal constitution and Tamil Nadu is one of the States in South India, with a rich linguistic and cultural heritage of its own. One of the world's earliest irrigation systems was developed in Tamil Nadu two thousand years ago. The State is also dotted with numerous Hindu temples, mosques and churches. Religious harmony has been a way of life in the State for centuries.
In the past, lunches were served in Hindu temples for all those who needed such social support. The State Government has revived this age-old tradition recently, as a component of an integrated safety net against poverty-induced hunger. Food availability and absorption are fairly satisfactory in the State, thanks to a hard working farming population and a reasonably satisfactory position in primary health care, sanitation and drinking water supply.
Economic access to food arising from inadequate opportunities for sustainable livelihoods is the major food security challenge in the State. Nearly 50% of the rural population do not own assets like land or livestock. The only assets they have are their time and la-bour. Hence in the biovillage programme of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation at Chennai (formerly known as Madras), the emphasis is on adding economic value to the time and labour of the assetless, through technological and skill empowerment. The transition for unskilled to skilled work is the pathway adopted to enhance income and reduce workload, particularly for women who suffer from multiple burdens in their daily life.
The Government of Tamil Nadu has chosen "nutrition security" among the 15 thrust areas to be rigorously pursued in order to provide every child, woman and man an opportunity for a productive and healthy life. The strategy has two major components. First, enhance the productivity, profitability and sustainability of the major farming systems of the State, since agricultural progress represents the best safety net against hunger, poverty and deprivation. This is because of the dependence of over 70% of the State's population of 60m on crop and animal husbandry, inland and marine fisheries, forestry and agro-processing, for their livelihoods.
The second component of the strategy is introducing a whole life cycle approach to nutrition by providing catalytic horizontal linkages among numerous vertically structured programmes. The following programmes will thus be implemented in an integrated manner at the level of each individual:
· pregnant mothers - avoid low birthweightIt should be mentioned that Tamil Nadu was the first state in the country to introduce a universal noon meal programme for school going children in the age group 3-14 years.
· breastfeeding mothers - achieve WHO goals
· infants (0 to 2 years) - reach through mothers
· pre-school children (2 to 6 years) - integrated child development service
· youth (6 to 21 years) - school noon meal programme
· adults (21 to 60 years) - food for work
· old and infirm (over 60 years) - food for nutrition.
The next SCN annual session will be held in Chennai from 3-7 March 2003. On that occasion, the SCN’s 5th Report on the World Nutrition Situation focusing on Engaging Development: New Opportunities for improving Nutrition Outcome will be released. In addition, there will be a workshop on Malnutrition Free Tamil Nadu, accompanied by a field visit to see the implementation aspects of the programme. An effective delivery system of entitlements, designed to reach the unreached and including the excluded, is what will help to achieve the desired nutritional goals. Also, the programmes should be designed on the pattern of partnership with the people and not of patronage. Ownership of the programmes by local communities and their total involvement are absolutely vital for launching a sustainable nutrition security movement. This is the goal of the Tamil Nadu Nutrition security compact, which aims to achieve the goal of hunger free India set by Mahatma Gandhi just before India became Independent on August 15, 1947, by August 15, 2007 which represents the 60th anniversary of India's independence.
Professor M S Swaminathan
SCN Distinguished Nutrition
Advocate Msswami@mssrf.res.in
