Health Min focuses on 'nutrition security' to achieve goals of Eat Right India movement

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday emphasised on the need to move from food security to nutrition security to achieve the goals of the Eat Right India Movement. He urged other ministries concerned to form a joint platform to determine common goals and strategy and synergise their actions.

Dr Harsh Vardhan presided over an inter-ministerial meet with FSSAI and senior officials of various ministries to build a 'whole of government' approach to achieve 'Vision 2050' of the Eat Right India Movement.

According to an official statement, he took note of the fact the economic cost of food-borne diseases in India is estimated to be a whopping USD 15 billion. To move from food security to nutrition security, the line ministries are expected to come together to form a common platform to determine common goals and strategy and synergise their actions accordingly, he said.

"The different ministries can make critical interventions in primary production, food processing, their regulation with respect to wastage and issues of hygiene and end-consumption. Only then will 'Eat Right India' become a movement in its true sense, he said.

"A systems-based approach can ensure food safety along with their secure availability, promoting a healthy diet along with taking care of the environment through sustainable practices," he added. The other line ministries include the Women and Child Development Ministry, the Agriculture Ministry and the Ministries of Food, Fisheries.

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Health Minister on COVID-19 vaccine

Meanwhile, in another meeting, Dr Harsh Vardhan also said that India is expected to have a COVID-19 vaccine in a few months and the country should be in the process of delivering it to people in the next six months. He made the comments at the Annual General Meeting of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) and St. John's Ambulance.

"We are very much into the vaccine development process...in the next few months at the most we should have a vaccine and in the next six months we should be in the process of delivering the vaccine to the people of India," he said. Vardhan said to fight against COVID-19 the social vaccine of maintaining a distance of six feet should be followed, along with regular washing of hands and wearing of masks and face covers, especially in public places. 

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