Seminar discusses women's health, child nutrition
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, February 12 2024: With an aim to raise awareness of women's health and child nutrition for the populace living in extreme remote border areas of Kamjong district, a 3-day seminar cum workshop on Women's Health and Child Nutrition' was held at Kamjong town hall from February 7 .

The seminar was organised by the Tribal Resource Development Centre (TRDC) under the sponsorship of the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) .

Commenced with a prayer delivered by reverend Alogel Jajo, pastor of Union Baptist Church (UBC) Kamjong, the seminar featured talks by technical experts in the field, including Dr Lucy Duidang, Chief Medical Officer of Kamjong; Dr Rangla James, the Medical Officer at the Community Health Centre, Kamjong; and Dr Changmei S Ningshen, a professional dietician and the proprietor of Dr Changmei's Diet Clinic.

In her presentation, Dr Duidang stressed the importance of promoting health and nutrition education in remote areas and the need to adopt healthy food habits for overall well-being.

She also highlighted the need for awareness of the health needs of girls during their adolescence and pregnancy.

The speakers addressed a range of subjects related to women s health and child nutrition at different stages of life.

These included childhood, adolescence, reproductive age, and post-reproductive age.

They emphasised the importance of consuming nutritious foods and meeting the nutritional needs of young girls.

Some of the main topics that were covered by the experts were updates on immunization recommendations, the dangers of HPV and HPV-associated cancers, menopause and hormone replacement therapy, pregnancy, nutrition for women's health, and healthy eating habits for women.

Additionally, the speakers discussed child nutrition, focusing on growth and development for children, as well as the components of a healthy eating plate for kids.

In his keynote address, TRDC chairman Yaruingam Ningshen stressed that health and nutrition are the need of the hour for the populace, especially women and children living in far-flung border areas where access to healthcare facilities is limited.

Ningshen shared that the TRDC focuses on promoting sustainable livelihoods, healthcare, and education.

He also took the opportunity to express his appreciation to the North Eastern Council (NEC), Shillong for sponsoring a seminar aimed at reaching out to .women living in the underprivileged border area of Kamjong district.

The event saw the participation of around 300 young and old women, including women's groups, civil society organisations, church leaders, school students, and frontline workers from the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) .

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