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ABSTRACT
Objectives of the study: To assess the instrumentality of VCDC (Village child development center) in improving malnutrition problem in Gadchiroli district.
Methodology: Village child development center is a unique health intervention to address malnutrition problem in the district and is operational since 2010. The district health office receives routine performance report of each VCDC from the peripheral units. It is analyzed at district level and feedback is being given to each unit. The present study is based on the analysis of the data collected at district health office from each peripheral unit wherever VCDC used to happen. In this study data of six months (July 2011 to December 2011) have been used.
Observation and Discussion: The study used data of six months from July 2011 to December 2011 for analysis. During these six months 13584 children have been admitted to 2271 VCDCs organized at various Anganwadi centers of the district and 10439 malnourished children gained improvement. Again 1828 severely acute malnourished (SAM) children were converted to moderately acute malnourished (MAM) children, 7677 moderately acute malnourished children regained their normalcy and 934 severely acute malnourished children regained their normalcy.
Conclusion and recommendation: Out of total severely and moderately acute malnourished children admitted to VCDC 76% got improved in total but still the individual indicators show a piteous picture and needs special emphasis. Simple and cost effective interventions like VCDC is definitely of great help in tribal districts like Gadchiroli to reduce malnutrition problem.
Keywords: Malnutrition, VCDC, SAM and MAM
INTRODUCTION
Malnutrition is a major public health problem throughout the developing world and is an underlying factor in over 50% of the 10-11 million children under 5 years of age who die each year of preventable causes.16 It continues to be one of the world's most serious development problems. It matters mainly due to Disease-Nutrition interaction and Economic/ Productivity concerns.3 It is "a pathological condition resulting from a relative or absolute deficiency or excess of one or more essential nutrients. It comprises four forms, such as under nutrition, over nutrition, imbalance and specific deficiency.15 WHO has categorized malnutrition in to two different types, such as Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate acute malnutrition (MAM). Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is defined as weight-for-height measurement of...