Anganwadi workers in rural areas of Indore district could now monitor the health and nutritional status of women and children online with the help of tablet computers.
In a bid to deal with the problem of malnutrition, the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), in association with the Women and Child Development department, distributed the devices to around 110 workers at a function here today.
"Under the pilot project of Nutrition Surveillance System, developed by the NIN, these workers would update the data about the health and nutrition of women and children (below five years) through tablets," said A Lakshmaiya, Head of Hyderabad-based NIN's Public Health Nutrition Division, after distributing the tablets.
After studying this real-time information, the departments concerned of the state government would suggest necessary steps to improve nutritional status of women and children.
Referring to the NIN study in the context of Madhya Pradesh, he said iron deficiency is most common among children.
"Levels of calcium and vitamins are also found to be lower than ideal standards among children. Moreover, there is a need to increase the sanitation level and to ensure supply of clean drinking water in the rural areas of state," he said.
Lakshmaiya said one district each in Kerala, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana has been selected along with Madhya Pradesh for the pilot project---Nutrition Monitoring System.
Women and Child Development department Assistant Director Vishnupratap Singh Rathore said the tablets have also been distributed to four supervisors and one project officer along with 110 Anganwadi workers in rural areas of Indore district.
Anganwadi workers will be given special training in using the tablets.
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