With the joint efforts of the State Government and the UNICEF, the infant mortality rate (IMR) of Chhattisgarh has been brought down to 48 per thousand, which was 51 per thousand, in the year 2010.
According to an official statement issued here on Tuesday, the UNICEF, in association with the State Government, has been working continuously in the sectors of child malnutrition and child and mother health in the State and its positive results were coming to the fore.
The officers of UNICEF, at a meeting chaired by the additional Chief Secretary (finance), DS Mishra, at Mantralaya here on Tuesday, have presented information related to the works done during the year 2012 and the work proposed in the year 2013-14.
UNICEF country head James Gittau, State head Asad-ur-Rehman and senior officers from the State Government were present in the meeting. At the meeting, ACS Mishra hoped that with the joint efforts of the State Government and the UNICEF the millennium target would be achieved in some parts of the State.
The UNICEF officers informed the meeting that under the Nav Jathan Yojana started by the state government for the eradication of malnutrition,
Consultants for the UNICEF, had extended technical support last year. Base line survey had been done in 340 village panchayats in the state where the malnutrition rate was high.
In 2013-14 also the UNICEF would extend its support for the eradication of malnutrition, it was informed.
The officers informed that last year, with the support of state health department, 40 nutrition rehabilitation centres has been working and the number of the centres would be increased to 75 this year. UNICEF had imparted training to the staff of these centres and supplied equipment also.
It has been extending its support to the State Government in the fields of child health, vaccination and mothers’ health. It has also extended technical support related to child security to the State Government.
With the help of Woman and Child Development department and voluntary organisations, UNICEF had conducted a survey on child trafficking in Jashpur district.A training programme would be organised in 2013-14.
UNICEF had also supported the water purification programme and the complete sanitation campaign. It has included the formation of a State cell for the publicity of the Right to Education Act in its work plan for this year.
Principal secretary, Woman and Child Development, Subrat Sahu, secretary School Education Dinesh Shrivastava, secretary Tribal Welfare Manoj Pingua, UNICEF programme officer Prabhat Kumar, director, National Secondary Education Campaign Reena Baba Saheb officers from various departments were also present in the meeting.