Partners for India Projects
Sion Hostpital, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Dr. Mamta Manglani: Head, Department of Pediatrics
Dr. Alka Jadhav: Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Nutrition Research and Rehabilitation Center; (NRRC) at Pediatrics Department.
Lokmanya Tilak Memorial Medical College (LTMMC) and Lokmanya Tilak Memorial Municipal Hospital (LTMMH), popularly known as the Sion Hospital is one of four large Municipal hospitals in Mumbai. As a public sector hospital their patient population leans towards the poorer section of the population in Mumbai. Their pediatric department treats a large number of SAM children.
Sion Hospital has been the focal point for TFP in India. TFP helped set up a manufacturing facility at Sion from which they prepared MNT to treat all the SAM children in their hospital. A clinical trial was initiated in 2011 to test the current protocol to treat SAM children at the hospital with a new protocol using MNT. Dr. Alka Jadhav presented their data publicly at a regional medical conference in Pokhara, Nepal in 2013. Based on their excellent results, all malnourished children admitted to the Sion hospital have been treated with MNT since 2014. Sion Hospital has set up a 10 bed Nutrition Research and Rehabilitation Center at their premises on the outskirts of Dharavi, one of the largest slums in Mumbai.
TFP provided funding for NRRC and the production of MNT at Sion until 2014. Since then International agencies such as UNICEF, Mumbai and ACF (Action Against Hunger through their Indian subsidiary Fight Hunger Foundation [FHF]) are now helping to fund their work in this area. TFP continues to provide technical advice and fund special projects such as alternate MNT formulations.
As a result of their work and the clinical study they conducted, the state government of Maharshtra looks to Sion for guidance in treating malnourished children. In the past year, Sion treated over 700 children with SAM.
Sions leadership has enabled MNT to become an approved product for all the municipal hospitals in Mumbai.
India Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, Mumbai Maharashtra
Dr. Narendra Shah, Professor; CTARA (Center for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas)
Dr. Shah and IIT Bombay have been instrumental in launching the TFP-IITB-Sion project to manufacture and clinically test MNT with SAM children. IIT Bombay staff provided on-site technical consulting for the manufacture. Ms. Aparna Surve at IIT Bombay was the first paid staff on the project.
TFP volunteers have worked closely with IIT since 2007. There was limited awareness of malnutrition on IIT campus when our project was launched. As Dr. Shah and his students became more engaged, they realized the enormity of the problem in Mumbai itself and have taken many steps to have an impact.
Dr. Shah now offers a course on Nutrition in addition to his Food Processing course at CTARA. Many students have conducted field studies in the slums of Mumbai. Several graduate students are engaged in evidence based research to guide policy makers in India as they confront this major issue.
After completing the joint project with TFP and Sion on the treatment of SAM children, Dr. Shah has undertaken a massive study to test locally formulated, nutritionally fortified products to treat MAM (Moderate Acute Malnutrition) children in the slums of Dharavi along with Sion Hospital and SNEHA (Society for Nutrition Education and Health Awareness). This project funded by Tata Center for Technology and Design (TCTD) includes seven different formulations which all meet nutritional specifications for the treatment of MAM. Preliminary results are expected in 2017.
TFP and IIT Bombay will start a study of the prevalence of malnutrition in school-going tribal girls in the Palghar district of Maharshtra. Approximately 250 girls will be selected for the study. Malnutrition among adolescent girls impacts their adulthood productivity. Their health forms the foundation of a healthy motherhood. Low birth weight is highly correlated with the development of acute malnutrition. There is anecdotal evidence for widespread deficiency among these girls but evidence based research data is lacking. This study, along with a similar study with our partner at MS University in Baroda will determine the most effective interventions to secure their health.
Hexagon Nutrition Private Limited (HNPL), Mumbai, Maharashtra
Arun Kelkar and Subhash Kelkar (Founders),
Arun Lal (New business development)
Hexagon Nutrition is an India based manufacturer of vitamin and mineral supplements, making custom blends of micro-nutrients. Customers include large and small food industries, large International agencies such as WFP (World Food Program) and UNICEF. They are a UNICEF approved supplier of micro-nutrients for the manufacture of RUTF and RUSF products around the world.
They became our partner in 2012 when they began supplying the vitamin/mineral premix used in making MNT at Sion. After the completion of the clinical trial in 2013 they showed interest in replicating Sion production plant in a larger scale. In early 2014 Tata Trust from Mumbai approached TFP. They were interested in sponsoring a larger scale validation of MNT with up to 10,000 children. They needed local production of RUTF. They asked us to provide technical guidance to them to Scale-up the production of RUTF. Several manufacturers in the public sector were contacted but in the end Hexagon Nutrition stepped forward and established a larger production plant at their manufacturing facility in Nashik, Maharashtra. TFP volunteers provided technical advice to Hexagon Nutrition for the scale-up. By September 2014 Tata Trust began a large scale study in the District of Nandurbar, Maharashtra, with the help of UNICEF, Mumbai and the local ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services); a Central Government funded organization with reach across India. Hexagon provided MNT product.
They are now making commercial quantities of MNT. TFP volunteers continue to consult with Hexagon as they design their new manufacturing facility to increase the scale of production.
MS University, Baroda, Gujarat
Dr. Swati Dhruv, Professor, Department of Nutrition
TFP began working with Dr. Swati Dhruv at the MS University in Baroda in 2016. This project will address the nutritional status of adolescent girls in the tribal schools in Baroda. Our project began after we reviewed a major report called “Three Square Meals” sponsored by USAID along with other NGOs. The report indicated through anecdotal data that more than 70% of adolescent girls in India are under nourished and anemic. There is a dearth of credible evidence in this area.
Dr. Dhruv has a lot of experience with nutritional research. Our study has begun with the collection of data prior to addressing the nutritional interventions needed to correct any deficiencies. Results are expected in 2017.
Global Hospital and Research Center (GHRC), Mount Abu Rajasthan
Dr. Partap Midha; Director
TFP will begin working with Global Hospital in 2017. We will initiate a project to significantly reduce the incidence of Acute Malnutrition in 22 villages served by a Village Outreach Program (VOP) of GHRC by launching a comprehensive CMAM (Community Management of Acute Malnutrition) program through their infrastructure. The program will be implemented in the Sirohi district, one of 13 high burden districts for malnutrition in Rajasthan. This project will start in 2017.
General Mills Foundation, Minneapolis
TFP would like to thank the General Mills Foundation for its continuing support of our projects since 2012. This has provided much needed funding for our past and ongoing projects in India.
Full Belly Project (FBP)
Full Belly Project is a non-profit organization based in North Carolina. They provide a simple peanut sheller that is made of concrete with steel parts. We have purchased a set of molds from FBP which can be readily shipped and multiple shellers can be made locally.
For more information on Full Belly Project, see their website: http://www.thefullbellyproject.org/
Meds and Food for Kids (MFK)
Our partner, Meds and Food for Kids, works directly in developing countries. MFK is established in Haiti and has built up a major manufacturing facility for RUTF in Cap Haitien. TFP supports their operation in Haiti by obtaining, shipping and installing equipment for the production of RUTF. We travel to Cap Haitien periodically to install and maintain much of their equipment. We also help evaluate new equipment before it is purchased and shipped to Haiti.
For more information on Meds and Food for Kids, see their website: http://mfkhaiti.org/