The Hindu : Disease eradication campaign in the offing

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 08, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Disease eradication campaign in the offing

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI Aug. 7. The State Government is to launch a campaign for eradication of debilitating diseases, which limit the productivity of the affected people.

Announcing this here today, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, said though life expectancy in the State was increasing, preventable diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS and leprosy persisted. It was also distressing to note malnourished children in the country amid abundance of food. To end this paradox, the State had launched an ambitious `malnutrition-free Tamil Nadu' programme.

These programmes would be possible only with the people's participation as well as professional guidance, the Chief Minister said, releasing the annual report of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation here, which was received by the Madras University Vice-chancellor, Ignacimuthu.

To improve the agrarian economy, the Chief Minister said plans were afoot to promote production of organic horticulture and plantation crops in the State. The Government would help farmers produce organic vegetables, fruits, tea and spices and other products and get necessary certification for export. Besides, the Government was planning to spread the `pulses villages' concept all over the State to reduce import of pulses.

Commending the Foundation for launching a `Touch and Smell Garden' for visually challenged children, the `Every Child A Scientist Centre' and also the `Bio-technology green house', the Chief Minister said these initiatives would help to focus greater attention on physically challenged children and work towards a ``technological leapfrogging.''

Sanctioning Rs. 5 lakhs for the `bio-technology green house', she said the project would help to bring several thousand acres of wasteland under development, especially in areas where only saline water was available. She also announced a grant of Rs. 5 lakhs to the Touch-and Smell Garden. Earlier, the Chief Minister launched all these projects.

The Foundation Chairman, M.S. Swaminathan, said the organisation was committed to work for the well-being of women and deprived children who, he said, were like ``blossoms in dust.'' The executive director, P.C. Kesavan, said the Foundation's mission was ``pro-women, pro-poor and pro-children.''

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