Name of the Candidate Enrollment No.

Course Assignment Block-1

: Dr.Arun Kumar : 097908018 : LPNSSD

Nutrition Security is a very broad concept which covers society and community as a whole,economic aspects (Purchasing Capacity and Consumption Pattern), nutrients, food and balance diet for all, safe potable matter under hygiene environmental condition which provides care and protection to health for all. The term nutrition security is an umbrella concept which covers biological as well as physical aspects of foods to be consumed by society. Nutrition security is recognized as international issue of priority to protect and safe the general health condition of the worlds citizens i.e. Healthy Citizens-- Healthy Nations. Different aspects are highlighted time to time regarding NUTRITIONAL SECURITY. The World Food Summit 1996 held in Rome included 3 goals to achieve the NUTRITIONAL SECURITY as under: - Achieving food security for all. - The goal to be achieved by reducing the number of under-nourished people to 50% by the year 2015. - Catering the basic Nutritional needs of the people of the globe. In our country high priority is given to the Nutritional Security. Our country is committed to achieve the goal of food security, especially the socially deprived segment of the society, women and children, people below poverty line and disadvantaged segment of the society i.e. SC/ST etc. The Govt. of India implemented different schemes to improve the situation and to enhance the likely chances to achieve the goal of Nutrition Security. The Govt. of India adopted all 3 Goals of World Food Summit in its National Nutrition Policy and National Action Plan of Nutrition. Consequently 9th and 10th 5 Year Plans have given high priority to achieve Food and NUTRITIONAL SECURITY. There are 3 pillars which can provide a solid platform for Food and Nutritional Security as shown in the figure below. 1. Availability - Availability of food in desired quantities - Enhance Productivity at domestic and home level - Better availability through proper distribution FOOD & - Better nutritional contents NUTRITIONAL SECURITY to check hidden hunger 2. Access - In term of purchasing power of citizens - The role of Govt. for better Access 3. Absorption - Non Food Factors like Nutrition Knowledge, Proactive Approach, Awareness & Ability to Consume

- Better Environmental and Sanitary Conditions to Facilitate Absorption 2 Nutritional insecurity is cased by hidden hunger and the resultants are malnutrition poor health, infection and illness & other dangerous diseases. There are 2 important factors which can check the malnutrition. They are: -Food Factors and -Non Food factors Non food factors are equally important to ensure Nutritional Security. The main NonFood factors are:- Economic Non-Food Factors: - Buying power, income level and general livelihood conditions - Social Non-Food Factors: - Gender inequality and disparity. - Agricultural Non-Food Factors: - General tendency of quality farming, home gardening ensures nutrient rich foods. Proper storage of food grains\ food items reduces the chance of losses of food stuss.. - Environmental Non-Food factors: - Quality and availability of potable water, hygiene conditions and proper sanitation. - Cultural Beliefs\Practices related Non-Food Factors: - Fooding habits during pregnancy, choice of specific food of low nutrients value and discrimination among the family members. Sustainable Development can be achieved by empowering, mobilizing, educating the masses for essential components to reduce malnutrition. Nutritional Sustainability needs the support of Govt. Institutions, financial resources, Technical support, inter-sectoral co-ordination and supporting attitude of the society. The process can be accelerated by reducing hunger (including hidden hunger) and malnutrition at every level of the society with the help of above stakeholders.. Hunger and malnutrition adversely affect the social and economic development of the society. Total eradication of malnutrition leads to sustainable development and to meet the goals of the World Food Summit. It is observed that malnutrition affects specific group of people rather than whole population. Efforts therefore need to be directed towards these high risk segments. Now the trend is showing a shift of population towards urban areas which possess severe challenges to food and Nutritional Security. According to the studies conducted by Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hydrabad and Deptt. of Women and Child Development, the negative impacts of malnutrition are very dangerous as they: - Directly affect the Indians GDP, up to 9% - The public expenditure to deal malnutrition is 27 times high as compare to public expenditure required for prevention. Thus we can say that nutrition is the foundation of Sustainable Development and lack of which the nation or society trapped by immediate vicious circle characterized by poverty, food insecurity, low income, poor health, low productivity. The direct effects or vicious cycle leads to long term threats consisting low moral values, poor attendance in schools, high dropouts rates, poor performance and ultimately lower return of investment in education as depicted in figure below.

. 3 Malnutrition & Food Insecurity Immediate Negative Effects Poverty & Low Income Long Term Negative Effects Low Morale

Poor Health

High Dropout Rate and Low Attendance in Schools

Low Productivity

Poor Performance & Lower Return of Investment in Education

Threats of Un-Sustainability

The above figure clearly indicates that the adverse affects of malnutrition are psychological as well as physiological on future citizen (infants, children and adolescents). A nation can only be strong and prosperous if the general nutritional healths of all citizens are good. Malnutrition creates high barriers in national social development which can only be treated with multi-sectoral efforts and co-ordination, proper awareness and education, proper care of infants, children and women and mothers. Nutritional health of all segment of the society creates the wealth of better human resources and the best national economic asset.