Aligarh: Dr. Shazia Farooq Fazli from the Department of Sociology, Aligarh Muslim University, showcased AMU’s international academic presence by presenting her research at a conference on Health Inequalities and the Food Systems in India and the UK, held at Royal Holloway, University of London. The event brought together global researchers, policymakers, and public health experts to address challenges surrounding nutrition and health inequity.
Dr. Fazli presented her paper, From Plate to Potential: Mid-Day Meals and Long-Term Health Outcomes, examining how India’s Mid-Day Meal Scheme shapes children’s nutritional status and influences long-term health indicators. She emphasised that a substantial portion of children’s daily dietary intake is consumed in schools, making the quality of institutional food systems critical to their growth and wellbeing.
“Children spend a major share of their day in school, and what they eat there not only affects their immediate health but also shapes long-term outcomes,” she noted, stressing that stronger school food environments, through improved standards, monitoring, and equitable access, are essential for reducing persistent socio-economic health disparities.
