Days after the Jharkhand government floated tenders for procuring Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to be used in Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) — child right activists have written to the PM to intervene in the matter as India does not approve of the strategy of using RUTF. RUTF is mostly used in Sub-Saharan Africa, catering to severely malnourished population.
Days after the Jharkhand government floated tenders for procuring Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to be used in Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) — child right activists have written to the PM to intervene in the matter as India does not approve of the strategy of using RUTF. RUTF is mostly used in Sub-Saharan Africa, catering to severely malnourished population. Calling it a issue of national importance, experts, in their letter to the Prime Minister, have cited that even the recently passed National Food Security Act 2013 does not support the use of ready to use commercial products. Experts have cited apprehension as the department of social welfare, WCD has issued a high-value tender to purchase commercial RUTF of a very specific formulation for use in ICDS. “The eligibility criteria specifies that companies must have a turnover of over '2.5 crore in such products and a pre bid meeting has already been held to select the suppliers as well,” added the letter. Reiterating that even the scientific evidence does not support the use of RUTF for the purpose of reduction of child mortality in children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, experts have expressed that the government of Jharkhand is defeating the policies of the government and national concerns regarding the use of the commercial sector and contractors in supplying of food for children. The activists have requested the Prime Minister to intervene urgently and stop the Jharkhand government from taking this action. “Instead the state should move forward by implementing the National Food Security Act 2013 and the ICDS Restructuring, which along with NRHM will ensure a continuum of maternal and child care and change the direction towards sustained improvement in infant and young feeding practices, using local homemade foods,” it added further.
