Nutrition is the heart of a good health and freedom from multiple diseases. Simply, nutrition is the digestion of nutrients in the body which results a perfect health, thus shielding the body from all sort of diseases. Good nutrition is followed with the positive health and good production.
Nutrition is playing its role from the birth to the last stage of the life. Hence, it tells what to eat and who you be on the next day.
On the other hand, the dietetics deal with the diet of an individual and their daily intakes. Counseling the community about the basic things where each individual has knowledge of the diets, muslim mothers should breastfeed their babies until the age of two years. Because breastmilk contains all the antibodies which protect the babies from the antigens and provide protection of energetic development and following other various acute/ chronic diseases. Breastfeeding, besides baby, also benefits mother. As it relaxes and protects her from many severe diseases.
Briefing about breastfeeding period, it is the period of learning. So for the better upbringing of the child, practices like recitation of Holy Quran, avoiding abusive languages and making sure of all good deeds which have some psychological influences on the baby shall be parted. Because at this time period, everything has a bad impact on the child.
In Pakistan, this has become a serious problem. Mothers’ carelessness has proved to be the one major reasons conferring a bad behaviour into their babies.
Counselling and education to provide awareness to the community where to protect them from ratio of morbidity and mortality can only be achieved by assessment of Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) programs.
Buleda, a mountainous town, possessing a status of Tehsil situated in the northern region of Pakistan, is enriched with palm trees with herb and blesssful beauties, and being my hometown, is victim of said issue. Though people out there are busy with their daily livelihoods, but invite the abnormalities by themselves by means of carelessness and ignorance. No doubt, the Tehsil has healthcare units in all its Union Councils but still each day there comes a news of death from minor ailments and multiple acute chronic diseases.
Reason is, all these said care units have wall boundaries only. They do not have any regular consultants nor have they possess any timely medicines. However, population of Buleda is mostly of lower class having uncountable financial problems halting them from cities for good treatments.
And Irony is, till date there has not been a single awareness session on importance of breastfeed neither from government nor from any non-governmental organisation.
Offsprings, mainly of two years, suffer from many diseases due to not being properly breastfed by their mothers. Secondly, a large number of women are found consulting doctors for powder milk for their babies without knowing the severe impacts of such man-made milk. No matter what the circumstances be, mothers should be committed to breastfeeding to their babies until they do not turn to three years so their babies shall remain safe from diseases. The Holy Quran has revelations on breastfeeding too.
Assessment of CMAM program at Buleda will be a way of educating and counseling the community to protect the newborns from the devil of malnutrition and death. Assessment of CMAM program in the first 1000 days is needed for a strong growth and development for a baby as it helps to protect the baby from various diseases. Such said project will help to find the offsprings of 5 years old with acute chronic malnourished diseases and will provide treatment by using the Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) under good guidance and monitoring.
However, CMAM program is basically funded by the UNICEF. Most part of Makuran Division is benefiting from this program, such as District Punjgur, Gwadar and Turbat city. But unfortunately Tehsil Buleda lacks this blessing.
People head to cities for their babies’ treatment owing to minor diseases. If such said programs are arranged, the people of the Tehsil will not need to go to cities. Through CMAM- program, a pregnant woman and an offspring of two years can benefit from it. The scheme mainly works for pregnant women, lactating women and adolescents.
Offsprings subjected to CMAM program are in good growth and health. Hence, this program helps to reduce the mortality rate by safeguarding the mother and child dying from acute malnutrition.
A survey confirms, a huge population is dying because of inappropriate care which includes offsprings deprived of breastfeed for the first two years. But luckily, said cases would get solved by assessment of CMAM- program if arranged.
So, the first golden 1000 days should be under care and monitor by means assessment of CMAM program. Therefore, government and other concerned authorities should introduce such beneficial assessment programs at Buleda to counsel and mould the behaviour of mothers to feed their children to guide them how to protect their offsprings from harmful diseases. The nutritionist should not be ignored, because nutritionists make you and your child safe.
