BENGALURU: In order to fill gap in nutrition, there is a need for more research in the field of non-communicable diseases and collaboration between private researchers and the government, said principal secretary of Health and Family Welfare department, Jawaid Akhtar, while speaking at the Health and Wellness Through Nutrition and Nutraceuticals-2020 conference organised by Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences.
"At present, several people are anemic in Karnataka because they refuse to take Iron Folic Acid supplement, as it has a side effect of constipation," he added.
Speaking at the two-day conference, Dr. V Prakash, scientific consultant in the office of the principal scientific advisor to Government of India said, "Academia and industry need to collaborate in fields of
cancer biology, nutritional therapies for wellness, traditional and indigenous food medicine, development of cancer vaccines, etc."
Speaking on the sidelines, he told TNIE, "Malnutrition is not just a problem caused by poverty and lack of affordability. Even the rich face issues such as Anemia because of the nature of their eating habits, lack of knowledge.
"To combat malnutrition, more number of doctors, scientists, health workers should be trained and take part in the government's nutrition programmes. Hygiene is also an issue along with malnutrition in children."
The conference is being organised along with Association of Food Scientists and Technologists of India, Networking for Professionals of Food and Nutrition and International Crops Research for Semi-Arid Tropics.