Implementing strategies focusing on Child Health through Ministry of Human Resource Development

Rajendra Pratap Gupta

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            President & Board Member

February 13, 2013.

Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju

Union Minister for Human Resource Development

Government of India

Shastri Bhawan, C- Wing, Dr.Rajendra Prasad road.

New Delhi- 110001

Subject: Implementing strategies focusing on Child Health through Ministry of Human Resource Development

Dear Dr.Raju,

I am sure this finds you doing well.

This note is a follow up on my earlier communications on including health education in school / college curriculum.  Please refer

following  communications;

1. Communication regarding Child Health dated 11^th Feb,11 http://dmai.org.in/sites/default/files/Unhealthy_Promotions_MOHFW.pdf
2. Communication dated July 11, 2011 on the UN High level summit for Heads of States. http://dmai.org.in/sites/default/files/Note%20to%20PMO%20for%20UN%20Summit%20on%20NCD’s%20%20September’11.pdf
3. Communication dated 8^th August 2011 regarding, Right to Preventive Care & child health . http://dmai.org.in/sites/default/files/Right%20to%20Preventive%20Care.pdf
4. Communication to Shri Kapil Sibal, Former HRD Minister, for including health in the school curriculum. http://dmai.org.in/sites/default/files/Healthcare%20in%20School%20Curriculam.pdf
5. Communication dated October 10^th, 2012 to Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare on ‘Pre-emptive care’           focused on child health. http://dmai.org.in/Pre-emptive-Care-A-new-model-of-care.pdf
6. My address at the United Nations, on why we need to focus on Child Health? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCTKC4ndjsc

Implementing strategies to ensure good heath among children would require collaborative working between the

Ministry of Human Resource Development along with Ministry of Health & Family Welfare & the Ministry of

Women & Child Development & the Ministry of IT & Communications . We have been following this issue very

closely, and have sent numerous proposals and met up with various officials from time to time.

The following, if not yet implemented, would be a good step to promote child health ;

1. Start a chapter on hygiene & oral care from class 1 onwards

2. Create animated pictures and videos for children’s health that could be multilingual, and can be screened        nationally in classes or using mobile health as a medium to disseminate the audio visuals .

3. Have a chapter and subject called ‘Essentials of health’ , which is exam based

4. Define child health and check-up guidelines on the lines of vaccination charts till the age of 15 years. This can

be done by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and incorporated in the school curriculum.

5. Child obesity is a serious issue, and this can be addressed by giving right knowledge about ‘Calorie exchanges’. Since parents teach the children, they will also get educated on the same and impact the family’s health. This must be added in school curriculum from class 3 onwards

6. Work outs or Yoga / mediation must be introduced in all schools

1. All schools must have ideal height / weight / age charts in all classes, and every 6 months these must be reported in the half-yearly and annual report card. The same way as attendance, neatness , punctuality etc. are reported in class report cards at the PTMs (Parents Teachers meetings)
2. It would be a great move if we start giving out 3 %marks or give a grading of A, B or C ( A for being fit for standards , B for borderline & needs improvement  & C for being much below the child health metrics ), for various health indicators like dental hygiene, height and weight (BMI – Body Mass Index ), hemoglobin, Vitamin B & D etc.
3. Each school / college should have a full-time doctor / health educator
4. Junk foods & associated calorific intake needs adequate attention in school level awareness campaigns
5. Children do not realize the importance of having adequate quantity of water, and since, in school, they are sometimes restricted to go to toilets, it is high time that the guidelines are issued to all schools for adequate water consumption & availability of drinking water & toilets in school (It might sound trivial, but it is very

Important).

Hope this issue will be given the highest priority and attended at the highest level. We will be raising this issue in parliament though members of Parliament from different political parties

For this generation, we are already too late, but we must ensure that the next generation is a healthy one.

In hope of the needful

Rajendra Pratap Gupta

CC:

Shri. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare.

Shri Kapil Sibal, Minister for Communications & IT

Smt.Krishna Tirath, Minister of state (I/C) for Women & Child Development

Dr.Syeda Hameed, Member, Planning Commission, GOI.

Shri. T.K.A. Nair, Advisor to the Prime Minister.

Shri Keshav Desiraju, Health Secretary, GOI.

Shri Ashok Thakur, Secretary, Min. of HRD.

Shri Prem Narain, Secretary, Min. for Women & Child Development.

Dr.Jagdish Prasad, DGHS, MOHFW

Dr.K.Srinath Reddy, President, PHFI.