The Honourable Dr. Asha Seth Visits Nutrition International

The Honourable Dr. Asha Seth Visits Nutrition International ( Formerly known as Micronutrient Initiative ) programming in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh

TORONTO, April 5, 2017 –The Honourable Dr. Asha Seth travelled to India from March 7-21st, 2017 to advocate for better health and nutrition globally for women and children. The visit included New Delhi and Lucknow, where Dr. Seth visited the offices and programs of Nutrition International (formerly known as Micronutrient Initiative.) Through these first-hand experiences with nutrition programming at the grassroots level, Dr. Seth’s commitment to advocating for nutrition has grown – particularly for women and girls.

During her visit to India, Dr. Seth spoke to a group of medical peers at the All Indian Institute for Medical Sciences in Delhi where she reinforced the importance of improving nutrition. “The cause nearest to my heart is the plight of maternal and newborn healthcare globally. As a physician who has delivered thousands of babies, it has been my calling to care for women and children,” said Seth.

While in Delhi, His Excellency Nadir Patel, Canada’s High Commissioner to India, received the Honourable Dr. Asha Seth and a delegation from Nutrition International. Recent successes relating to Canadian initiatives to improve nutrition in India were discussed, in addition to key strategies and messages for Dr. Seth to bring back to her fellow parliamentary nutrition champions in Canada. The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to continue advocacy and support for initiatives aimed at improving the health and well-being of women and children globally.

Following her time in Delhi, Dr. Seth travelled to Lucknow in her native state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) where she had the opportunity to witness first-hand the work being implemented under Nutrition International’s Right Start Initiative, or Ek Sahi Shurat in Hindi. Ek Sahi Shurat is a joint collaboration between the state government and Nutrition International across 28 districts in Uttar Pradesh, aimed at improving the nutritional status of 17 million adolescents, mothers, newborns and children.

The most memorable day of Dr. Seth’s trip was her visit to an anganwadi centre supported by Nutrition International. At this centre, Dr. Seth had the opportunity to interact with pregnant women, mothers of young children, adolescent girls and community health workers. Dr. Seth spoke with accredited social health activists, or trained female community health volunteers, about their work and the daily challenges they face. Following her visit, Dr. Seth spoke of the high-impact work undertaken in UP and thanked Nutrition International for its support in providing essential health services throughout her home province. For more information about Nutrition International and the Right Start Initiative, visit www.NutritionIntl.org

 

About Dr. Seth

The Honourable Dr. Asha Seth is physician in family practice in Toronto, Canada, who was the first Indo-Canadian female to be appointed to the Senate of Canada from 2012 to 2015. Chair of the Parliamentary Nutrition Champions, Dr. Seth continues to advocate for causes relating to Maternal and Newborn Healthcare globally.

The Honourable Dr. Asha Seth still continue to champion global nutrition by convening a non-partisan group of Senators and Members of Parliament in Canada. This informal group known as Parliamentary Nutrition Champions advocate for nutrition in their work and constituencies.