Media Release

Mangalore, Jul 24: A study conducted by the health department, Manipal University on the impact of mid-day meals on the schools students from Mangalore region was released here on Saturday July 23. The study was undertaken in those government schools where the Akshaya Patra Foundation, Mangalore currently serves meals.

Dr V S Acharya, state higher education minister, who was the chief guest for the event released the study officially. He said that the afternoon meal acts as a recharger for the rest of the day's lessons for the children. "The midday meal helps in the overall development of the child without which the child will have poor immunity .The food must be fresh, clean, tasty, nutritious and sumptuous and served on time to increase immunity and good health in the child. In HRD health and education are the most important factors and Udupi and Mangalore districts are better than the best in the west. Because of the intervention of organizations like Akshaya Patra these improvements are seen which is much appreciable," he said.

The minister concluded his speech saying that if there is hunger there can be no development in the child, let alone his learning. "We therefore thank organizations like Akshaya Patra which have come forward to help the children."

Dr Ramachandra Kamath, HOD, public health department, Manipal University while presenting the preliminary study findings said that during the study a team of doctors and social workers measured the height and weight of 1630 children from 10 schools in Mangalore showed that 92 percent of the children were found to be well-nourished, three percent were found to be overweight, while five percent were found to be undernourished. The impact study documented considered parameters such as obesity, overweight, normal, thinness and severe thinness. The students were examined to assess their nutritional status using WHO criteria. Dr Ramachandra Kamath said this particular study will provide a baseline database of the nutrition of these children and will be a yardstick for any follow-up studies or projects.

A total of 78,000 children will be examined through this project and the next phase of the project will cover Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad and Bellary districts.

Commenting on the significance of the study, Karunya Sagar Dasa, president of the Mangalore unit of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, "It is imperative to measure the impact to know whether the programme continues to make improvements on the nutritional aspect, if not to assess what nutrition gaps are there and to improve the programme further. We want to add more quality to our programme and make the children healthier physically, leading to mental, intellectual and ultimately spiritual health of the children. This programme is therefore meant to address the fact that there is the good care and concern of the government, institutions like ISKCON and Akshaya Patra, public, corporates etc to care for the uncared.  Our main objective is to provide pure and nutritious food cooked with all care and concern in order to benefit the students."

As part of the programme, Shailaja Bhat, president, Dakshina Karnataka zilla panchayat inaugurated a free ophthalmology camp for students studying in government schools which is also organized by Akshaya Patra, Mangalore in partnership with K S Hegde Medical College, Derlakatte, Mangalore.

Dr Jayaram Shetty, HOD, Opthalmology, K S Hegde Medical College said that the college will provide free treatment and also provide spectacles for children who need them.

Deputy secretary of zilla panchayat Shivarame Gowda and Dr Hrishikesh Amin, professor, K S Hegde Medical College were present.