SEHAT Mission
The SEHAT Mission (Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation) is a joint ICAR-ICMR initiative. It aims to solve public health issues like malnutrition and lifestyle diseases by changing how food is grown.
📌 Revision Pointers
Key Agencies: Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Core Strategy: Bio-fortification (adding Zinc/Iron to staples) and promoting traditional grains.
Preventive Focus: Addressing NCDs (Non-Communicable Diseases) via diet.
Farmer Safety: Mitigating health risks from pesticide exposure.
The mission operates on the principle that "medicine starts at the farm." By converging agricultural research (ICAR) with medical research (ICMR), the government is moving toward preventive healthcare. The focus is on bio-fortification—the process of increasing the nutritional value of crops during growth.
The mission adopts the "One Health" approach, which recognizes that the health of people is closely connected to the health of animals and the environment. This includes promoting Millets (Nutri-cereals) which are climate-resilient and have a low Glycemic Index, helping combat diabetes.
💭 Conclusion
By aligning what farmers grow with what the nation needs for nutrition, SEHAT fosters a "Farm to Plate" health revolution.