The ministry of women and child development is celebrating the fifth Rashtriya Poshan Maah from September 1 to 30.

This year, the objective is to trigger Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month) through gram panchayats as ‘Poshan Panchayats’ with key focus on ‘women and health’ and ‘child and education’.

The campaign will focus on the promotion of indigenous toys for learning, gender-sensitive rainwater conservation at anganwadis and growth measurement drives.

Highlights of the campaign

• The month-long event will witness intensive activities across the country for awareness about nutrition at the ground level through sensitisation drives, outreach programmes, identification drives, camps and fairs with special focus on pregnant and lactating women, children below six years and adolescent girls, in order to realise the vision of ‘Swasth Bharat’.

• Poshan Panchayat Committees will work closely with field level workers — anganwadi workers, accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) — to support problem solving and enabling service delivery.

• Growth measurement drives will be conducted to bring more beneficiaries under the ambit of anganwadi services. Growth measurement drives under Swasth Balak Spardha will be conducted by States with the help of AWWs, AWHs, ASHA, district functionaries and agencies such as Lions Club, Rotary Club, etc. 

• Health camps for anaemia check-ups will be especially organised at anganwadi centres for adolescent girls.

• Further, land will also be identified for nutri-gardens or Poshan Vatikas at or near anganwadi centres.

• Also, special focus will be given on the importance of rainwater conservation among women at anganwadi centres and on traditional foods in tribal areas for healthy mother and child.

• Under the state-level activities, ‘Amma ki Rasoi’ or grandmother’s kitchen of traditional nutritious recipes will be organised. Extensive efforts will be made to link traditional foods with local festivals during the month.

• A national level toy-creation workshop will also be organised to promote the use of indigenous and local toys for learning in anganwadi centres.

• In states and Union Territories, authorities will carry out various thematic activities and spread the message of the importance of holistic nutrition throughout the month to ensure a healthier future for women and children.

Poshan Abhiyaan

• There are a number of schemes in India aimed at improving the nutritional status of children (0-6 years) as well as pregnant women and lactating mothers. In spite of these, the level of malnutrition and related problems in the country is high. The lack of synergy between schemes to achieve a common goal has been blamed. Poshan Abhiyaan through a robust convergence mechanism and other components would strive to create the synergy.

• PM Modi launched the Poshan Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) in March 2018.

• It is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to ensure attainment of a malnutrition-free India by 2022.

• The objective of the scheme is to reduce stunting in identified districts of India with the highest malnutrition burden by improving utilisation of key anganwadi services and improving its quality.

• It aims to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and children.

• Further, Mission Poshan 2.0, an integrated nutrition support programme which subsumes Supplementary Nutrition Programme and Poshan Abhiyaan, has been announced in Budget 2021-2022 for all states/UTs to strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach and outcomes with focus on developing practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity to disease and malnutrition.

• The Abhiyaan has been rolled out in all the 36 states/UTs covering all the districts across the country.

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