Aamir Khan To Be The Face Of Campaign Against Malnutrition

Actor Aamir Khan is part of a nation-wide campaign to raise awareness about malnutrition, which is more widespread in India than Sub-Saharan Africa.

The actor, the Unicef brand ambassador for malnutrition, has launched the campaign through advertisements and short films to make people aware of the perils of malnourishment.

“He has shot 40 films in 18 languages,” Caroline Dendulk, chief of communications in Unicef, said.

One in every three malnourished children in the world lives in India, she said.
Malnutrition limits development and the capacity to learn. It also costs lives: about 50 percent of all childhood deaths are attributed to malnutrition, health experts said.

In India, around 46 percent of all children under three years are too small for their age and 47 percent are underweight. Many are severely malnourished.

Madhya Pradesh has recorded the highest malnutrition (55 percent) and Kerala the lowest (27 percent).

Malnutrition is a state of physical weakness often caused by lack of food or lack of quality food vital for a healthy body.

According to the Unicef, malnutrition is also influenced by lack of access to health services, quality care for the child and pregnant mother as well as good hygiene practices.

Girls are more at risk of malnutrition than boys because of their lower social status.

Earlier, Aamir Khan, who brought several social issues to the fore through his show Satyamev Jayate, has now lent support to the fight against alcoholism amongst women. He says women should be forthcoming about admitting their addiction.

Addressing a press conference by Alcoholics Anonymous, an NGO, Aamir said the problem is more complex in India as women never come out and admit that they drink.

“In India, the problem is more complex. There are so many modernistic issues involved with drinking that women would be afraid to even admit openly that they are drinking. Its a very difficult thing for them,” the 47-year-old said here Sunday.

“So, the fact that you (female reporters) have come here, will give them a lot of strength, lot of courage and with the media reporting about it, the message that it is a disease will come across. Even if you are a woman and if you are suffering, you need to step out and there is help available to you,” he added.

Aamir says eradicating the issue will take time, but it will have to be a continuous struggle.

“Certainly this is a struggle which is a continuous struggle. I don’t think that anyone’s step is ever the end of it. Its a continuous struggle that we all have to take forward and we have to be committed,” Aamir said.