National Nutrition Week activity in Budgam focuses on early detection, growth monitoring and better infant and young-child feeding practices
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Sept 7: The Department of Community Medicine, SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, organised a one-day capacity-building programme at the MLTC in District Budgam on Monday to commemorate National Nutrition Week 2026, with a special focus on strengthening the ability of frontline workers to identify and respond to childhood malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies at the community level.
The programme, conducted in coordination with the concerned health and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) authorities of District Budgam, was aimed primarily at enhancing the knowledge and practical skills of Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), who remain among the key frontline functionaries involved in monitoring child growth, counselling caregivers and facilitating access to nutrition and health services.
Observed from September 1 to 7, National Nutrition Week provides an important platform for generating awareness about balanced nutrition, healthy feeding practices and the prevention of nutritional deficiencies. The SKIMS initiative sought to translate these broader objectives into practical field-level skills that Anganwadi Workers can apply during their routine interaction with children and families.
The programme commenced with an introductory sensitisation session by Dr Yasmeen Jan, Professor, Department of Community Medicine, SKIMS Medical College, who spoke about common nutritional deficiencies affecting children and the visible signs and symptoms that may help frontline workers identify children requiring further assessment.
The session stressed that early recognition of nutritional problems at the community level can play a critical role in preventing complications and ensuring that children receive appropriate assessment and intervention without unnecessary delay. Participants were sensitised to the importance of observing children carefully and recognising signs that may indicate nutritional deficiencies or impaired growth.
A detailed session on anthropometric measurements and growth monitoring was subsequently conducted by Dr Beenish Mushtaq, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, SKIMS Medical College.
The session highlighted the importance of accurate measurement and regular monitoring of children’s growth as essential tools for detecting growth faltering and malnutrition at an early stage. Practical aspects relevant to the day-to-day responsibilities of Anganwadi Workers were discussed, including appropriate measurement techniques, accurate recording and the interpretation of growth patterns.
The emphasis on growth monitoring was particularly significant as regular assessment allows frontline workers to identify children whose growth trajectory may require closer observation, counselling or referral for further evaluation.
The participants were then sensitised about infant feeding practices by Dr Labeeb Mir, Senior Resident, Department of Community Medicine, SKIMS Medical College. The session underlined the importance of appropriate nutrition during infancy and highlighted the role of frontline workers in counselling mothers and caregivers on optimal feeding practices.
The programme also featured a dedicated session on young child feeding practices, conducted by Dr Fahad Bukhari, Senior Resident, Department of Community Medicine, SKIMS Medical College.
The session covered key aspects of age-appropriate complementary feeding, dietary diversity, meal frequency and food consistency, while also discussing practical ways of improving the nutritional intake of young children through locally available and culturally acceptable foods.
Particular emphasis was placed on the need for practical and comprehensible nutrition counselling at the household level. Anganwadi Workers were encouraged to help caregivers understand how locally available foods can be incorporated into children’s diets and how appropriate feeding practices can contribute to healthy growth and development.
The programme was conducted in an interactive and participatory format, providing Anganwadi Workers an opportunity to discuss challenges encountered during their field-level work and seek clarification from the resource persons. The interaction helped bridge the gap between technical knowledge and its practical application in communities.
The activity reinforced several key components of childhood nutrition management, including early identification of malnutrition, regular growth monitoring, appropriate infant and young-child feeding, caregiver counselling and timely referral.
The initiative also highlighted the importance of strengthening coordination between the health and ICDS systems. Effective collaboration between these systems can facilitate more systematic identification, monitoring and management of children who are nutritionally vulnerable, while ensuring that frontline workers are adequately equipped to recognise warning signs and guide families towards appropriate services.
The capacity-building exercise assumes added significance because Anganwadi Workers have regular contact with children and caregivers at the community level and are therefore strategically placed to identify emerging nutritional concerns. Strengthening their knowledge and skills can contribute to improved nutrition surveillance and earlier intervention, particularly among children who may otherwise remain undetected until nutritional problems become more pronounced.
The programme concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Dr Yasmeen Jan, who expressed gratitude to the participating Anganwadi Workers, officials of District Budgam, faculty members and resident doctors involved in organising and conducting the activity.
The Department of Community Medicine described the programme as a meaningful initiative towards strengthening community-level nutrition surveillance and improving the early recognition of childhood malnutrition. The activity also sought to promote better feeding practices and strengthen the capacity of frontline workers in keeping with the objectives of National Nutrition Week 2026.
The initiative underlined the broader importance of taking nutrition awareness beyond institutional settings and equipping community-level workers with the practical knowledge required to identify nutritional risks early, counsel families effectively and facilitate timely intervention for children in need.
