Growth of a Nation is dependent upon the Health of its People and CHILD HEALTH CONGRESS is a first step to embrace the unique opportunity we all have to nourish; take the heat and make constructive decisions in bringing hygiene and sanitation, knowing that we're doing it to make things better for the people of India.

Child health is intricately enmeshed with issues ranging from malnutrition to sanitation. These do not necessarily represent the extreme ends of a spectrum for they are not mutually exclusive. In looking for solutions this is precisely what we have to keep in mind. There needs to be a lot of convergence and inter-sectoral coordination if we are to harbor any hopes of improving the health and well-being of India’s children. Our children's health and well-being are dependent on our commitment to promoting nourished food and good eating habits at home, at school and in the community.

However, findings from the recently conducted Hunger and Malnutrition survey (HUNGaMA) have once again sharpened the debate around the state of India’s children. With a whopping 59% of its children under-five moderately or severely stunted and with 42% of them underweight, India presents a gloomy picture at best. At a time when India is making a determined bid for regional and global leadership, these figures serve as a reality check.

The malaise that is reflected in the poor health of children is probably rooted in India’s lopsided health priorities. The virtual stalemate in the battle against hunger, malnutrition and infectious diseases in children says a thing or two about our intent. That over 4200 children under five die every day in India is a slur on our dignity as a nation.

India’s pressing child health problems, of course, call for urgent interventions. It needs to be understood however that the urgency of the situation does not preclude a comprehensive understanding of the overall problem. Hastily implemented piecemeal solutions, which often result from a ‘siloed’ thought process, need to be relooked at.

Dealing with specific child health issues necessitates that we take into account all possible factors that have a bearing on these issues. Combating malnutrition in children, for instance, necessitates that we systematically embed hygiene and sanitation indicators in nutrition programmes. Failure to do this may potentially nullify gains that might otherwise have accrued from such programmes as infections resulting from poor hygiene and sanitation can drain the body of vital nutrients.

Against this background and understanding the need for cross-sectoral engagement to be one of the main considerations in devising solutions, The Times of India is taking a lead in organizing Child Health Congress 2012 scheduled for 30th April at Le Meridien Hotel in New Delhi with the theme "Driving Action on Child Health: Collaborating for Comprehensive Solutions". The forum is an endeavor towards synergizing energies of the stakeholders and make that as a trend that needs to be encouraged.

Child Health Congress 2012 is a congregation of policymakers, doctors, scientists; representatives from the developmental sector, from NGOs and from the civil society among other stakeholders in a unique dialogue on India’s child health issues. Dignitaries will share insights and will try to piece together a picture that captures the essence of the problem for a concerted action to rid the country of this scour. Objective of the forum will be to examine possible solutions and to arrive at a consensus on the way forward.