Bhubaneswar : Stunting (arrested growth or lower height for age) has lifelong consequences on cognition and human capital. Although there has been a significant reduction in neonatal and infant mortality in Odisha and India, childhood stunting still remains a major concern in the growth and development of children.
As per the findings of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), childhood stunting rate in India is at 35.5%, while in Odisha, it stands at 31%.
The good news is that there has been a marginal reduction in these figures during the last decade. Common sense interventions targeting macro and micro nutrition, sanitation and health education of mothers have resulted in a marginal drop in stunting rates, pointing towards a much more complex nature of this condition that can only be addressed by serious and nuanced approaches driven by scientific evidence.
With a view to combat this modern age scourge by designing research and strategies for implementation, the AIPH University, Eastern India’s first Public Health University, is organising an International Workshop on ‘Stunting and Gut Dysfunction’ at the IMA House, Bhubaneswar on July 17, 2022, in collaboration with the Georgetown University, UAS and the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (Odisha chapter).
The organizers of the workshop include Dr. Arjit Mohapatra Prof. & Dean, School of Allied Health Sciences, AIPH University, Dr. Steven Singer, Prof. Department of Microbiology, Georgetown University, USA, Dr. Sailajanandan Parida, President and Dr. Seba Ranjan Biswal, General Secretary of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Odisha chapter.
The assembly of eminent national and international scientific and action research experts will present the current status and research findings at the workshop. The day-long programme has been split into various sessions. Physicians, senior professors, scientists, Public Health experts, students and researchers will be participating in the interactive global workshop to deliberate on the critical issue.
The Speakers and Panellists at the workshop include; Dr. Steven Singer Professor, Georgetown University, USA, Dr. Sanghamitra Pati Director, Regional Medical Research Center (RMRC), Bhubaneswar, Mr. Basanta Kumar Kar, Chief Advisor-Cum-Mentor, The Coalition for Food and Nutrition Security, Dr. S. Subash Babu Scientific Director, International Center for Excellence in Research NIH-National Institute of Research, Chennai, Dr. Sitara Swarna Rao Ajjampur, Professor of Microbiology at The Wellcome Trust Research, Laboratory Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Dr. Nandita Banaji Professor & Head, Dept of Microbiology, Indira Gandhi Medical College & Research Institute, Puducherry, Dr. Pradeep Kumar Panda, Professor and Dean, School of Public Health, AIPH University, Dr. Pinaki Panigrahi Professor of Pediatrics and Director, International Microbiome Research Georgetown University Medical Center, USA.
A variety of topics are slated to be covered in the day-long workshop, including: the Role and Contributions of Science to Humanity, Stunting and Malnutrition Landscape in India and Odisha, Changes in the Rates of Stunting During the Last Four Decades in India and the World, Economic Impact of Childhood Stunting, The First 1000 Golden Days of Life, Pathogenesis of Stunting, Enteric Infections, MAL-ED Study Results and Stunting, Cryptosporidiosis Infection and the Vellore Birth Cohort, AIPH Mother-baby Cohort, Neonatal Infections, Intestinal Helminths, Microbial Secretions and Dysbiosis, Maternal and Childhood Anemia and Metabolic Disorders, Early Bacterial Colonization and Infections, Intestinal Tight Junctions and Impact of Dysbiosis, Intestinal Microbiome and its Modulators et.al.
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