The News
- The Union government has decided to observe September as Nutrition month to spread the message of Nutrition.
- The campaign is aimed at spreading the message- ‘har ghar poshan tyohar’.
Key Themes
The campaign aims to promote
- Antenatal care
- Breastfeeding
- Anemia
- Age of marriage for women
- Growth monitoring and nutrition of adolescent women
- Hygiene and sanitation
Key activities
- Promotion through various channels like social media including hashtag #PoshanMaah, radio programmes including PM’s Mann Ki Baat.
- Dedicated programme against anaemia.
- Prabhat Pheris, poshan melas, poshan walks, recipe demonstrations and school level events.
- Engaging civil society including teachers, self help groups, NSS student volunteers, National Cadet Corps, Swacchagrahis among others to spread the message
Background
About National Nutrition Mission
- National Nutrition Mission was launched in March 2018 with a budgetary support of Rs.9000 Cr over the next three years.
- The International Bank of Reconstruction and Development of World Bank has contributed 50% of the budgetary support.
Objective
- The Mission seeks to reduce the levels of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low-birth weight of babies.
Targets
- Reduce mal-nutrition by 2% every year by reducing stunting, wasting and under-nutrition by 2% each every year.
- Reduce incidence of anemia by 3% every year.
- Mission 25 by 2022: Reduction in Stunting among children up to the age of six years from 38.4% (NFHS-4) to 25% by 2022.
Key Features
- Robust Convergence Action: Under-nutrition being a multifaceted challenge includes food, medicines, sanitation etc.
- Synergy: Synergy among various schemes including National food security act, mid-day meals, ICDS, Swachh Bharat, National rural drinking water programme, Mission Indradhanush, Deworming initiative, MAA National breastfeeding pogramme, Beti Bachao Beti Padao etc.
- Continuous Real-time Monitoring through the use of ICT.
- Complimentary Feeding practices to stop breast feeding after 6 months from birth.
- Iron Folic Acid supplements through life-cycle approach covering all life-cycles including children, women of reproductive age, expectant mothers, adolescent girls etc.
Indicators of malnutrition
- Wasting: Children whose weight is below the average for their height are considered wasted. Wasting is an indicator of acute malnutrition.
- Stunting: Children whose height is below the average for their age are considered to be stunted. Stunting is an indicator of chronic malnutrition.
- Underweight: Children whose weight is below the average for their age are considered under-weight. Under-weight is an indicator of acute or chronic malnutrition or both.
Nutrition status in India
- One in every 2 women is Anaemic , One in every 3 children is Stunted, One in every 3 children is Malnourished, One in every 5 children is Wasted.
- As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 (2015-16), 35.7 per cent children below five years are underweight, 38.4 per cent are stunted and 21 per cent are wasted in the country.
- Further the body mass index of 22.9% women aged 15-49 indicates chronic energy deficiency.
- In a recent report, Nourishing India, the NITI Aayog refers to acute malnutrition levels of about 25% in some States.
