The nutrition battle in India

An update on nutrition programme Poshan 2.0

 The nutrition battle in India

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• The story: The Ministry for Women and Child Development inaugurated Poshan 2.0 and urged all Aspirational Districts to establish a Poshan Vatika (nutrition garden) during the Nutrition Month (Poshan Mah) from 1st September, 2021. A month-long celebration of the POSHAN Abhiyan mission places special attention on Severe Acute Malnourished (SAM) children. The pandemic has dealth a crushing blow to the regular nutrition activities like Mid Day Meal, etc.
• What is Poshan 2.0: It is an umbrella scheme covering the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) (Anganwadi Services, Poshan Abhiyan, Scheme For Adolescent Girls, National Creche Scheme).

1. It came via the Union Budget 2021-22 by merging supplementary nutrition programmes and the POSHAN Abhiyaan, and was launched to strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach and outcome, with renewed focus on developing practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity to disease and malnutrition in the country.
2. Poshan Maah - The month of September is celebrated as POSHAN Maah since 2018 to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
3. It includes a month-long activities focussed on antenatal care, optimal breastfeeding, Anaemia, growth monitoring, girls education, diet, right age of marriage, hygiene and sanitation and eating healthy (Food Fortification). The activities focus on Social and Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC) and are based on Jan Andolan Guidelines.
4. SBCC is the strategic use of communication approaches to promote changes in knowledge, attitudes, norms, beliefs and behaviours.

• Poshan Vatika: The goal is to ensure supply of nutrition through organically home grown vegetables and fruits simultaneously ensuring that the soil must also remain healthy. Plantation drives for Poshan Vatikas would be taken up by all the stakeholders in the space available at anganwadis, school premises and gram panchayats.
• Nurtrition mission: The POSHAN Abhiyaan, or the National Nutrition Mission, was launched by the government on the occasion of the International Women’s Day on 8th March, 2018.

1. It targets reduction in stunting, undernutrition, anemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively.
2. It also targets to bring down stunting among children in the age group 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by 2022.

• Malnutrition in India: According to a 2010 World Bank report, India suffered an economic loss of Rs 24,000 crore due to lack of toilets. And that the health impact on the economy was 38 million dollars. The situation hasn't dramatically changed since, though the number of SAM children in the country went from 80 lakh, down to 10 lakh.

1. Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.
2. The term malnutrition addresses three broad conditions -

• Undernutrition: It includes wasting (low weight-for-height), stunting (low height-for-age) and underweight (low weight-for-age).
• Micronutrient-related: It includes micronutrient deficiencies (a lack of important vitamins and minerals) or micronutrient excess;
• Overweight: Obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers).

• UN SDG: The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2: Zero hunger) aims to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, making sure all people – especially children – have access to sufficient and nutritious food all year round.
• Knowledge centre: "Wasting" is defined as low weight-for-height. "Stunting" is defined as low height-for-age. It is the result of chronic or recurrent undernutrition, usually associated with poverty, poor maternal health and nutrition, illness etc.
• EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain how social norms affect nutrition condition in Indian girls. What can be done to alter it? (2) Differentiate stunting from wasting. (3) In what five fundamental ways can all Indian children be assured the right nutrition? Explain.
  

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