The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) in conjunction with the Ministry of Ayush has recently set up Poshan Vatikas in nearly 4.37 lakh Anganwadi Centres. Simultaneously, 1.10 lakh medicinal saplings have been planted in selected districts of six states. This is part of the ongoing Poshan Maah 2022 activities that aim to promote nutrition and wellness throughout the country.
Understanding Poshan Maah
Poshan Maah or Rashtriya Poshan Maah is a month-long commemoration that takes place in September annually. The event, held under POSHAN Abhiyaan, focuses on critical aspects of health such as antenatal care, optimal breastfeeding, anaemia, growth monitoring, girls’ education, diet, right age of marriage, hygiene and sanitation, and healthy eating (Food Fortification).
These undertakings prioritize Social and Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC), guided by Jan Andolan Guidelines. SBCC helps foster change in knowledge, attitudes, norms, beliefs, and behaviours through strategic communication.
The Concept of Poshan Vatika
Poshan Vatika refers to a small piece of land where households grow vegetables to prevent malnutrition, particularly among women and children. Its primary goal is to ensure the provision of organically grown fruits and vegetables while maintaining soil health. The initiative involves stakeholders in planting drive for Poshan Vatikas at available spaces, such as anganwadis, school premises, and gram panchayats.
POSHAN Abhiyaan: An Overview
Launched on March 8, 2018, POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission aims to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anaemia among young children, women, and adolescent girls, and low birth weight. It envisions marked reductions in these areas by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively. The mission’s objective is to slash stunting among children aged 0-6 years from the current 38.4% to 25% by 2022.
POSHAN Abhiyaan uses technology for service delivery and interventions, promoting behavioural change through convergent efforts. It has set specific targets across different monitoring parameters. A key component involves deploying Swasth Bharat Preraks in each district to coordinate with officials and accelerate the Abhiyaan’s implementation nationwide.
Introducing POSHAN 2.0
Aiming to create operational synergies and adopt an integrated approach to nutritional services, the government has combined various programmes with similar objectives under one umbrella known as Mission POSHAN 2.0. This new framework ensures convergence of all nutrition-related schemes on target populations.
Mission POSHAN 2.0 also encompasses a software-based tracking of nutritional status, community-based events for awareness, incentives for front-line workers, training and capacity building initiatives, and a grievance redressal system.
The Need for Poshan Abhiyan
India grapples with alarmingly high levels of stunting, undernutrition and anaemia among children, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5. The Global Nutrition Report-2021 indicates a lack of progress in tackling anaemia and childhood wasting. Many Indian children under 5 years suffer from wasting, and there’s been a significant spike in anaemia among children aged 6-59 months. On the Human Capital Index (2020), India ranks 116 out of 180 countries, highlighting the urgent need for initiatives like Poshan Abhiyan.
Other Related Initiatives
Alongside Poshan Abhiyan and POSHAN 2.0, other related initiatives include Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), and PM-POSHAN Scheme.
Looking Ahead: The Way Forward
Proactive measures are needed to tackle malnutrition and food insecurity in India. Formulating structured, time-bound, and location-specific strategies while considering socioeconomic factors and pandemic impact is crucial. Comprehensive approaches that address all elements of nutrition are equally important for success.
To conclude, several objectives make up the ‘National Nutrition Mission’, also known as POSHAN Abhiyaan. The initiative aims to improve the nutritional status of children from 0-6 years, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. It also seeks to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia and low birth weight of babies. Nonetheless, no provision relating to the consumption of millets, unpolished rice, coarse cereals and eggs exists under the NNM.