The AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia(JMI) partnered with UNICEF, to conduct a day-long capacity building workshop to raise awareness on pneumonia, diarrhoea, anaemia, breastfeeding and nutrition. The workshop was attended by more than 40 RJs and programming heads from All India Radio, private FM stations and community radio stations from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Assam; academia from JMI, academia from the Department of Anthropology, Delhi University, and academia from IGNOU and IIMC; officials from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Women & Child Development; officials from UNICEF; and representatives of civil society organizations like Save the Children, the Clinton Health Access Initiative and the YP Foundation. The workshop aimed to highlight and bust myths associated with pneumonia, diarrhoea, anaemia and non-exclusive breastfeeding and prioritize scientific medical knowledge over folk beliefs and factor in relationships between cosmopolitan and indigenous knowledges, right and wrong, science and magic, truth and myth. Poor understanding of the causes and symptoms of killer diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea and anaemia, coupled with traditional practices in supernatural beliefs and other socio-cultural-economic reasons demand a concerted effort to tackle malnutrition and under-immunization, which can be achieved through exclusive- breastfeeding, age-appropriate complimentary nutrition and routine immunization, particularly amongst marginalized populations. Professor Danish Iqbal from MCRC participated in the workshop and led the group that presented a spot on nutrition. The creative titled, “Suno suno bhai suno suno (Hear folks, pay heed” called for attention to the important message. As a part of the partnership with UNICEF, JMI will conduct similar workshops in tandem with other departments of the university to promote research on the topics and also sensitize the youth on the issue.
Jamia Millia Islamia | JMI partners with UNICEF to raise awareness on child health issues
Reported by Syed Haroon
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