Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India

Item

Title: Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India
extracted text: SDA-RF-CH-1.57

Ccmniunity Health Ceii
From:
To:

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"Arun Gupta" ■iarun@ibfan-asiapacific.org>
"PHA Group" <ona-ncc@yahoogroups com>
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Wednesday. August 25, 2004 2:06 PM
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Dear Dr. Jdvaprakash Narayan,
Please allow me to introduce myself first, I am a pediatrician and write to you on behalf of
Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), a premier national organization to protect,
promote and support breastfeeding in India. Let me congratulate you for having made such
comprehensive paper "ENSURING A HEALTY FUTURE".

I acres with the views out forward in vour pacer, and aooreciate the hard work that aone in to
prepare it. At the same time I like to point out that issues concerning infant and young child health,
development and survival need more attention. Ensuring healthy future of nation 'would not be
possible in tact, without due attention given to the infant and the young child. You would agree with
me That for ensuring health future, the first commitment is to ensure a best possible start to life
and a healthy and wail developed child. I am writing to you in this regard.
T
mv comments and would like to suggest that these may be suitably addressed and
incorporated in any future discussion on the issue and I will be more than willing to assist.
I hope you are well aware of the child malnutrition in the country and the devastating impact it has
on life. Child malnutrition contributes to more deaths than any other health condition, accounting for
or contributing to about 6 million of the 10.9 million deaths of under- five children each year. India's
share in these deaths is 2 A million. We should also know that malnutrition among children occurs
almost entirely during first two years of life and is virtually irreversible after that. The mortality in
young children is closely associated with child malnutrition and inappropriate feeding practices. It is
associated with high morbidity due To impaired immune functions and it impairs cognitive
development, intelligence, strength, energy and productivity. Obviously it tremendously impacts
development outcomes, as more than 90% of brain actually develops during first two years. Its
negative impact on other programmes like Polio eradication is worthy to take note of.

In iioht of the Millennium Development tools India has to meet with, preventing child malnutrition
would need to be a greater priority. And India cant escape addressing it urgently to achieve
meaningful progress in its development end sustain it. The Global Strategy on Infant and Young
Child Feedina developed jointly by UNICEF and the WHO and approved by the World Health
Assembly in May 2002, provides a strong basis for policy and action on this priority. It also states,
1riapnroDriate feeding practices and their consequences are major obstacle to sustainable socio
economic develcomenT andpoverty reduction. Governments will be unsuccessful in the efforts to

accelerate economic development in any significant long-term sense until optimal childgrowth and
development., especially through appropriate feeding practices, are ensured."
i he government of India's iOfi1 Five- year Plan document notes, "As a result of these faulty infant
feeding habits, there is steep increase in the prevalence of undernutrition from 11.9 percent at less
than six months, to 58.5percent in the 12-23 months age. ~

Keeping these facts and situation in mind, I would like that following issues may be addressed under
the given headers in your paper.

Challenges ; include
i.
Preventing child malnutrition should be there in list of challenges.
2. Preventing Infant HIV may also be included in challenges.

Agenda for action : include
1.
Include Achieving high rates of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months as
a means to achieve optima! survival growth and development of infants and young
children.
Tables : include
1.
Infant mortality, state, wise.
2. Tenth plan goals on reduction of malnutrition
3. Tenth pian goals on improving infant and young child feeding.
1 attach a piece of Guest Editorial that I was invited to write for one worid.net as well as a draft
paper I am writing on the issue, to express my views. I take liberty in attaching some documents and
PPT slides in support of my suggestions. Please feel free to contact me for any clarification or
assistance.

Hope to hear from you and with best regards,
With thanks and best regards,

Sincerely yours

Dr. Arun Gupta, Mt>, FTAP,
National Coordinator, BPNI
Phone: .-91-11-27312445
Phone Res: -91-11-27026426
Mobile:--! 9810076306
Email :agupta@bpni.org or arun@ibfan-asiapacific.org

9'1 W

Media: SDA-RF-CH-1.57.pdf

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