<div style="DIRECTION: ltr"> From: <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:thelma@sochara.org">thelma@sochara.org</a><br><br> <br>From: Vandana Prasad <a href="mailto:chaukhat@yahoo.com">chaukhat@yahoo.com</a><br>
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<div>This is to express my endorsement of the position paper developed by you and colleagues on the Ready to Use Therapeutic food (RUTF) / Plumpy Nut. I think it is very ill advised for the Government to support the procurement of RUTF/ Plumpy Nut for wide spread use. </div>
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<div>I totally support the urgent need to address the huge public health problem of under nutrition particularly in children, but also in women and men. There are several strategies that have been used to address this problem in the past, which has been mentioned in the paper. There are many more such field experiments and on going nutritional interventions as an integrated part of community health projects. We ourselves have used this in the field and taught about it for years when we were in the medical college. However NGO and academic institution based programs are small in reach and there is need for a scaled up approach and for national and state policies. Unfortunately undernutrition and basic hunger and starvation has never got the priority political, policy and implementation attention that it requires. It comes into focus only where there is a product to sell, often promoted and marketed by powerful cartels and lobbies. </div>
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<div>The Advisory Group on Community Action for the NRHM in India (AGCA) which is a standing committee of the NRHM has decided to also work on this issue. I am a member of the AGCA. As you know the AGCA has pilot tested the community monitoring of the health services in 9 states during 2008. There are now established networks in these areas. We hope that it may be possible to focus attention on nutrition, water and sanitation as underlying health determinants that are also inter-related using the mechanisms and networks that have been established. The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan has an important role to play in this. Attached is the PPT and a note on Community Action for Nutrition that I had prepared for the AGCA. This could evolve into broad based strategy after inputs from colleagues and campaigns. The draft Public Health Acts should also address undernutrition. There is an effort towards this in the Gujarat Public Health Act.</div>
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<div>The broader political economy under pinnings of hunger also need to be addressed, as they are already being done by various campaigns and movements. </div>
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<div>Thelma<br><br> </div>
<div><span class="gmail_quote">On 1/24/09, <b class="gmail_sendername">Vandana Prasad</b> <<a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:chaukhat@yahoo.com" target="_blank">chaukhat@yahoo.com</a>> wrote:</span>
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<p>dear friends,<br>some of us have (hastily!!) drafted a position paper on the hasty propogation of plumpy nut - an imported and expensive ready to use therapeutic food (<span name="st">RUTF</span>) in continuation of the on-going campaign for good quality and sufficient food for children as the most important way to prevent and manage malnutrition. You can get a copy from me Vandana Prasad at the adres above.<br>
The paper is self explanatory though the issue is complex.<br>please have a look. we look forward to your comments and support. <br>there is a current urgent policy context heavily in favour of pre - packaged <span name="st">RUTF</span> and we would like to take this position to policy makers.<br>
pls endorse with name and organisation. we want this to be a comprehensive list rather than a representative one.<br>pls also discuss and disseminate in your relative states and campaign groups for further action.<br>e mails to <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:chaukhat%40yahoo.com" target="_blank">chaukhat@yahoo.com</a>, <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:radha%40bpni.org" target="_blank">radha@bpni.org</a>, <a onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href="mailto:arun%40ibfanasia.org" target="_blank">arun@ibfanasia.org</a> <br>
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