VHAI along with State level team has partnered with Kerk in Actie to implement a project “ Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition” in Assam.
In Assam maternal and child under nutrition still accounts for a high burden of morbidity and mortality in the state.
According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4,
- 37% children <5 years are stunted, or too short for their age, which indicates that they may have been undernourished.
- 17% percent are wasted, or too thin for their height, which may result from inadequate recent food intake.
- 30% are underweight which can be accounted to both chronic and acute under nutrition.
- 36 % of children < 5 years are still suffering from nutritional anaemia due to poor diet or poor intake of food.
- 45% Pregnant Women in the age group of 15-49 years are suffering from nutritional anaemia.
Objectives of Realising the Right to Adequate Food and Nutrition Initiative
- Enhancing capacities of NGOs and Womens Federations for addressing the issues of malnutrition and contributing towards achieving the SDG 2( Zero Hunger), SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 10 (Reduce Inequality).
- Convening with and convincing policy makers, stakeholder departments etc. for effective implementation of nutrition related schemes, policy level changes etc) and a multi-sectoral approach to addressing the issues of malnutrition.
- Inclusion of disability and gender issues in policy and guidelines of concerned departments/sectors that are involved in improving nutritional status.
- Identify and build up a potential women leaders collective at community level
- To form State level forum of Women Federations in Assam on issues of Nutrition.