For saving children from malnutrition, the Chhattisgarh Government is going to organise special camps named ‘Sneh Shivir’ (Affection Camp) in 17 districts of the State. Officers of Woman and Child Development Department informed that in these camps, special training and consultation session will be held for parents for under nourished children wherein they will be taught how to take care of these children.
Help of volunteers from community, Anganwadi workers, ‘Matra Samiti’ and Self Help Groups (SHGs) would also be taken to conduct these camps. The districts where these camps will be held include Raipur, Bemetara, Baloda Bazaar, Bastar, Gariaband, Durg and Kondagaon.
Circulars in this connection have already been issued on December 24 last year to concerned district collectors and district program officers from the Mantralaya. The camps are based on concept of community management, officials said.
The circular stated that according to the Millennium Development Goal (MDG), the State has to bring down malnutrition rate by 30 per cent. For achieving this goal, combined efforts of different departments would be taken.
The objective of this camp is ‘Community Oriented Malnutrition Management’. Effective execution of ‘Sneh Shivir’ will definitely help in bringing malnutrition to a minimum level. Each camp would be held in a cluster of 4 to 5 Anganwadi centers. Starting from January 2015 till May 2015, for duration of six months, 12 days camp will be held every month in each cluster, they said.
After the camps, every month for 18 days, house visits will be organised to monitor child health. Priority will be given to severely malnourished and seriously malnourished children. For bringing the children to normal category of nutrition levels, community and home based care will be provided. A ‘Sneh Shivir’ shall take care of only 20 children. Every month, supplementary diets will be provided to children in duration of 12 days, officials stated.