National Missions
In December 2017, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the setting up of National Nutrition Mission (NNM) i.e. POSHAN Abhiyaan with a 3-yr budget of Rs. 9046.17 Crore, commencing from 2017-18. POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched on the International Women's Day i.e. 8th March, 2018 by the Prime Minister. The Mission aims to reduce the level of under-nutrition, stunting, anemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) as well as reduce low birth weight babies and other problems affecting the nutritional status of pregnant women, lactating mothers and children in our country. It would strive to bring down stunting among children in the age group 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by 2022.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India plans to implement NNM through Convergence, Use of Technology and a Targeted approach. More than 10 Crore people will be benefitted by this programme. All the States and districts will be covered in a phased manner. Implementation strategy would be based on intense monitoring and Convergence Action Plan right up to the grass root level. The NNM, as an apex body, will monitor, supervise, fix targets and guide the nutrition related interventions across the Ministries. It also aims setting-up Nutrition Resource Centres, involving masses through Jan Andolan for their participation on nutrition through various activities. It plans to synergise frontline functionaries and volunteers like Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), Self Help Groups (SHGs), Co-operatives, Swasth Bharat Preraks etc. for wider and efficient outreach.
The key Nutrition strategies and interventions include WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), De-worming, ORS-Zinc, Food Fortification, Dietary Diversification, IYCF (Infant and Young Child Feeding), Immunization, ECD (Early Childhood Development) / ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education), Adolescent Nutrition, Maternal Health and Nutrition, ICT-RTM (Information and Communication, Technology enabled Real-Time Monitoring) etc.