As India marks World Food Day, the Vice President of India,? Mr M Venkaiah Naidu, has lauded Outlook Poshan’s campaign which examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on various nutrition programmes of the government, particularly the 1000 Day Programme for Mother and Child.

“It is a matter of great satisfaction that ‘Outlook’ has been regularly focusing nation’s attention on the importance of nutrition,” Mr Naidu said in a letter dated October 12. “The challenge of malnutrition needs urgent and consistent effort. I am glad that the Government of India has undertaken a focused campaign – Poshan Abhiyan – to combat this problem. All citizens must support this noble initiative and strive towards its success,” he said.

“Under-nutrition occurs at all ages. But when it occurs early in life in the first 1000 days, it has the most devastating and profound effect. It can cause irreversible damage to a child’s brain, affecting his/her ability to do well in school as also earn a good living later.

It is heartening to note that ‘Outlook’ supported by the CSR Division of Reckitt Benckiser has taken up an awareness campaign this year too for the cause of better nutrition for the first 1000 days in child’s life. I wish ‘Outlook’ all the success in its noble endeavour!” he added.

The Poshan campaign, which is still running, looks at the impact of the pandemic on nutrition through a 360 degree lens. It includes webinars and interviews with international and national domain experts and policymakers along with senior officials from UN bodies like the WHO and UNICEF and some well- known Indian NGOs. This is supplemented with videos, articles, explainers, graphs and charts.

The objective is not just to list out the challenges, but to suggest tangible ways and means to address them.