This paper is a situational analysis of Public Health Nutrition (PHN) across India, mapping teaching and training initiatives. The analysis was conducted using a combination of Internet search, telephone calls as well as interviews with experts. Information collected was pooled and tabulated using a snowball approach.
Currently, there are nearly 190 institutes in India that offer one or more nutrition courses, with the majority offering full-time courses. Of these, PHN was offered in less than five institutes across India and opportunities were confined to specialisation options/modules.
This situational analysis reveals the huge gap in existing nutrition ventures and points towards the urgent need to undertake newer academic initiatives especially in the field of PHN in India. Reforms in the education and employment sector need to be brought in which may include working towards making the field of nutrition attractive for career pursuit. The focus of this discipline needs to be broadened to, but not limited to, span the entire spectrum from dietetics to research and teaching. Strong synergistic collaborations and academic partnerships with other developed countries should be encouraged to catalyse finding solutions to emerging and/or existing threats to public health problems.