Sabarkantha, Feb 25 (IANS) A district-level nutrition initiative in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district has reported improvements in maternal health and birth weights after a year of targeted support for underweight pregnant women.
The “Lalan Palan” project was launched by the Sabarkantha District Panchayat in coordination with the Health Department as part of the Gujarat government’s efforts to address malnutrition.
The scheme provides free nutritional kits every two weeks to pregnant women weighing less than 42 kg.
Health officials said assessments in the district found that a number of expectant mothers had haemoglobin levels below six and were deficient in iron and iodine.
Poor maternal nutrition was linked to low birth weight, malnourished infants, and, in some instances, maternal deaths during childbirth.
Under the project, eligible women receive a kit at their homes containing chickpeas, dates, protein powder, and iron syrup.
According to officials, more than 2,200 women have benefited since the scheme was introduced a year ago. The district has spent Rs 14 lakh on the initiative, and support from a private company has helped implement it.
Dr Harshad Vora, District Health Officer of Sabarkantha, said the project was designed to help reduce the maternal mortality rate.
“There are several expecting mothers in Sabarkantha district whose haemoglobin is less than six. With the help of the Health Department, we provide these women with multivitamins, coconut, iron syrup, jaggery, and peanuts,” he said.
He added that babies born under the scheme over the past year have weighed more than 2.5 kg.
“Malnutrition does not mean lack of food, but improper eating habits. Many children do not consume enough nutritious food, which leads to malnutrition,” he said.
Happyben Parmar, a health worker in the Chapariya area of Himmatnagar, said she supervises 70 to 80 antenatal cases, six of whom are covered under the scheme.
“Women below 42 kg receive a care kit which includes dates, chickpeas, iron syrup, and protein powder. They take two spoons of protein powder and 7.5 ml of iron syrup regularly. If they feel hungry, they eat dates and chickpeas,” she said.
She added that beneficiaries had shown improvements in weight, strength, and haemoglobin levels.
Aartiben Makwana, a seven-month pregnant resident of Chapariya, said the assistance had helped improve her health.
“I received a kit with iron syrup, protein powder, chickpeas, and dates. My weight has increased from 42 kg to 55 kg,” she said.
Officials said a related initiative aimed at addressing malnutrition among adolescent girls had been introduced earlier as a preventive measure.
They added that the results of the Lalan Palan project indicate that sustained nutritional support can improve maternal health and healthier birth outcomes.
–IANS
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