An Immune India, Let’s together make it!

A few years back, India was hit terribly with the Chikungunya virus as well as the Swine Flu and people all around the country became prey to these viruses in no time. While maximum of the populace was hit by the dreadful viruses, few of them or let us say a bunch of them were still not touched upon. If we try to figure out, we will find that, the fortunate class was the adults or the grownups who could somehow manage to escape the clutches of these viruses but the majority of the susceptible class in the entire outbreak was the “children, the most vulnerable group of human population to any epidemic, disease, flu or fever.

In this entire episode, why do you think the few fortunate were adults while the worst affected were mostly kids? The reason is absolutely plain and simple – Adults have a developed immune system whereas the immunity in the kids is in a developing stage. This makes them prone to any foreign invaders in their body easily.

Despite the fact that, there are many curative measures to prevent almost every invasion of viruses through vaccines/oral dose and protozoans via medicines, thanks to WHO along with UNICEF who are on the pledge to vanish almost all the diseases that are found or spreading in the developing nations, don’t you think all the developing nations including India should impose preventive measures against the epidemic to reduce the invasion by half? For instance, we know India is a tropical country and so, mosquitoes being omnipresent can attack us any time then why surround ourselves with a heap of waste or stagnant water where they can breed and multiply significantly in no time.

While UNICEF along with WHO are pledging to make a difference in the world through curative measures, being Indians it becomes our responsibility to aid them in this noble cause by amending preventive measures to build a healthier, strong and more immune India…

So, how do we start? Well, the change should simultaneously begin from all the different spheres – The rural, town area, urban cities as well as the metropolitans. Here’s how –

Right food can neither be expensive for the rural children nor troublesome for the urban kids

It is every easy to dictate everyone that “eat right” in order to become healthy and immune to various diseases. But, in a poor country like India how will the less privileged children eat a nutritious diet when they are already suffering from malnutrition? Well, point to be noted. However, do you think nutritious diet can be expensive? Well, not as expensive as you may wonder. The Indian Government can easily promote the cultivation of fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are rich in Vitamin C and E, Carotenoid, Bioflavanoids and give farmers subsidies and an advantage when it comes to promotion of these agricultural products at the rural level. Besides, the midday meals should possess only those items that boost immunity in the children. In addition, they should tie up with FMCG like Dabur who have affordable readymade immunity boosting products in the form of Dabur Chyawanprash and serve the less fortunate children who are most vulnerable to diseases in the rural community. Well, when the Political parties can distribute Tabs after winning elections, I am sure that this is a cheaper and feasible solution.

In the urban areas and metropolitans where the kids possess a lavish lifestyle and eat lots of junk foods, awareness at school should be conducted regularly. Schools and homemakers should make sure they help these kids to consume the necessary immune boosting fruits and vegetables, nuts and whole grains in the form they would love to eat. For instance, a child may not like to eat chapatti and cabbage or even carrots however, if you impart these vegetables and give the kid in the form of Frankie or a roll, he would eat it happily. So, it becomes our responsibility to serve our kinds all the nutritional food along with immune boosting products like Chyawanprash to help them against all the foreign invaders at this tender age.

All work and no play really make Jack a dull boy, so let them engage in recreation

Kids in the rural places are into a lot of physical activities so they really do not need physical exercises to maintain their fitness level. Also, the atmosphere where they live is tranquil and dirt free. In cities, however, it is altogether a different story and so urban children should have a physical regime in their day’s time-table wherein they stretch out their arms and legs. There should also be regular mini marathons, the tournaments of various sports in the school where even the lazy ones participate actively. Evening time should be allocated to these physical activities and not tuitions or computer games or cartoons. Also, make sure once the child is back, he is following healthy habits of cleaning, washing and eating so that no bacteria, dust or any organism can imply affect on his body.

Image Source: http://www.ctvnews.ca

Parents should even indulge with their children in activities like yoga and sports so that children find it fun and adhere to the regime willingly. Animators and film makers should even make films which promote the benefits of physical activities.

Adequate Sleep is all that is required

Children in the rural areas do not get enough sleep as they are helping their parents, doing several physical activities as well as going long distance to study. A good number of schools should be imposed in every rural village so that children do not have to travel far also hand pumps should be erected in as close proximity as possible to make the life of these children easier. In short, more and more facilities should be provided to rural children so that their life would be much easier and they get enough sleep every day.

In rural areas, care should be taken by parents to see that children sleep early in order to get their adequate sleep. No TV, No playing, No Video games should be the habit of children. Early to be and early to rise should be the basic mantra of a student life. Also, make sure you provide children the healthy Ayurvedic oil like Dabur Lal Tail that enables them to sleep peacefully.

Mental Stress will affect the immunity in your child, so stop pressurizing!

A year back, I was startled to find out my neighbor’s 12 year old son was tagged as “stressed” by his pediatrician when he was having his regular rounds of check up (he was born as a premature baby and so his immunity is always in a mess and easily gets cold, flu and whatever fever is in the air). The doctor termed him as stressed and asked his parents not to pressurize him for studies etc. The parents never pressurized him for anything and were surprised by the verdict. However, on doctor’s inquiry, it was found out that the constant fights between the couple and his loneliness (only child with no siblings and working parents) stressed him out completely as he had nobody to talk or share his happiness/activities on a day to day basis. As parents, we should always try to see that we maintain the house atmosphere as calm and peaceful as possible to give our young ones a happy and healthy atmosphere to live in.

*****

An Immune India is not a Utopian dream but a possible reality of the near future, if we watch out our habit and help our children to follow the same. And in doing so, each of the individual and family should take a pledge to follow the regime firmly – Starting from the urban household and locality to each of the remote villages of India. It is really a pleasure to see the House of Dabur is campaigning for such a noble cause and directly reaching out lack of children nationwide with their motto – “Healthy Generation. Healthy Nation!”

This post is a part of Indiblogger  and Dabur’s “An Immune India” contest.

To know more about Dabur Chyawanprash’s nationwide Immune India campaign click here www.daburchyawanprash.com