HEALTHCARE IN INDIA RASHTRIYA POSHAN MAH

HEALTHCARE IN INDIA

RASHTRIYA POSHAN MAH

• The 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah (Poshan Maah 2024 : 1st-30th Sep 2024) was a transformative national initiative aimed at promoting nutrition awareness and fostering action towards building a healthier India.
• This year, the campaign focused on critical themes such as anaemia prevention, growth monitoring, effective service delivery through technology and governance, and complementary nutrition.
• Since its inception in 2018, the Poshan Maah initiative has become a significant platform for spreading nutrition awareness.
• This year’s edition, held throughout September 2024, built on the successes of the previous six campaigns, with over 100 crore nutrition-centric activities carried out across the country.

FOCUS THEMES OF THE 7th POSHAN MAH

CORE FOCUS AREAS

• Anaemia Mukt Bharat:
  • Aimed at reducing anaemia through a 6x6x6 strategy (6 age groups, 6 interventions, and 6 institutional mechanisms). By August 2024, 95% of pregnant women and 65.9% of lactating women across India had received Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) tablets as part of the efforts to tackle anaemia.
• Tech-Driven Solutions:
  • Digital platforms like the POSHAN Tracker were employed to monitor nutrition delivery in real time for over 10 crore beneficiaries, ensuring effective service delivery and improved outcomes.
• Community-Led Jan Andolan:
  • Local communities actively participated in spreading nutrition awareness and ensuring every household was engaged in nutrition-focused activities.
• Complementary Feeding:
  • Focused on infants aged 6 months to 2 years, emphasizing the need for complementary foods to prevent undernutrition. The campaign included activities to educate communities on the correct time to start complementary feeding, its nutritional quality, quantity, and frequency.

TOP PERFORMING STATES

The success of Poshan Maah 2024 can be attributed to the collective efforts of various

states. The top-performing states in terms of activities organized were:

1. Maharashtra: Leading the way with 1.93 crore activities.
2. Bihar: Following closely with 1.27 crore activities.
3. Madhya Pradesh: With 85.58 lakh activities.
4. Uttar Pradesh: Engaging through 79.07 lakh activities.
5. Andhra Pradesh: Organizing 73.27 lakh activities.

Gujarat also made significant contributions with 72.06 lakh activities, further boosting the nationwide efforts to improve nutrition.

THEMATIC FOCUS

Poshan Mah 2024 was successful due to its multidimensional approach, covering various aspects of nutrition, health, and well-being.

1. Anaemia Prevention:

• • 1.95 crore activities were held to raise awareness and combat anaemia, particularly among adolescent girls and women.

2. Growth Monitoring:

• • 1.73 crore activities focused on monitoring child growth, using the POSHAN Tracker to identify and address wasting and undernutrition early on.

3. Complementary Feeding:

• • 1.50 crore activities were dedicated to complementary feeding for infants, ensuring that 6-month-old children received the proper nutrients they need during this critical stage.

4. Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi:

• • With 1.65 crore activities, the campaign integrated education and nutrition, reinforcing the idea that healthy children learn better.

5. Technology in Governance:

• • 1.12 crore activities highlighted the use of digital tools like POSHAN Tracker to improve governance and monitoring in the nutrition sector.

6. Environment Protection:

• • Linking nutrition with environmental sustainability, 07 lakh activities focused on protecting the environment and promoting the connection between a healthy environment and better nutrition.

7. Nutrition-Specific Interventions:

• • 97.69 lakh activities promoted healthy eating habits and dietary diversity, emphasizing locally available nutritious foods.

8. Mass Sensitization:

• 57.11 lakh activities were dedicated to mass sensitization, ensuring that nutrition awareness reached the widest possible audience.

THE PROGRESS OF POSHAN ABHIYAN

In addition to Poshan Mah, the Poshan Abhiyan continues to make remarkable strides toward a Suposhit Bharat:

• 13,99,484 operational Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) across 781 districts in 36 states and UTs.
• 98.49% Aadhaar verification of beneficiaries, ensuring better tracking and service delivery.
• 1,95,497 AWCs now have their own buildings, 2,73,680 AWCs with functional toilets, and 3,38,645 AWCs with access to drinking water.
• 8.55 crore children (0-6 years) monitored for growth, while over 81.70 lakh pregnant and lactating women received targeted support.

These efforts highlight the success of Poshan Abhiyaan in delivering comprehensive nutrition interventions and improving the health outcomes of millions across India.

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