Lok Sabha Question No. 1959 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-29
Subject: Policy to improve Health Education
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Pushpendra Singh Chandel

## GOVERNEMNT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 1959

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2019

## POLICY TO IMPROVE HEALTH EDUCATION

## 1959. SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  new  policy  initiative  to  improve  health, education and nutrition level among children;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  is  taking  any  specific  initiative  to  improve  the  level  of health,  education  and  nutrition  among  children  in  economically  backward  areas such as Bundelkhand through joint efforts of State Governments; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a)  to  (d):This  Ministry  is  implementing  Anganwadi  Services  under  the  Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) which is a centrally sponsored Scheme implemented by the States/UTs.  The Scheme aims at holistic development of children below 6 years of age and pregnant women & lactating mothers.  The scheme provides for  a  package  of  six  services  comprising  of  (i)  Supplementary  nutrition  (ii)  Pre-school non-formal  education  (iii)  Nutrition  and  Health  Education  (iv)  Immunization  (v)  Health check-up and (vi) Referral services.Three of the six services, viz., Immunization, Health check-up and Referral Services are related to health and are provided through NRHM & Public Health Infrastructure.

Besides this,  the  Government  has  set  up  POSHAN  Abhiyaan  (earlier  known  as National  Nutrition  Mission)  on  18.12.2017  which  aims  to  address  the  problem  of malnutrition in the country. To ensure a holistic approach, all districts of 37 States/UTs have  been  covered  in  the  Abhiyaan. The  goals  of  POSHAN  Abhiyaan  are  to  achieve improvement in nutritional status of Children from 0-6 years, Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers in a time bound manner during the three years with fixed targets as under:

|   S.No | Objective                                                                                         | Target        |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|
|      1 | Prevent and reduce Stunting in children (0- 6 years)                                              | By 6% @2%p.a. |
|      2 | Prevent and reduce under-nutrition (underweight prevalence) in children (0-6 years)               | By 6% @2%p.a. |
|      3 | Reduce the prevalence of anemia among young Children(6-59 months)                                 | By 9% @3%p.a. |
|      4 | Reduce the prevalence of anemia among Women and Adolescent Girls in the age group of 15-49 years. | By 9% @3%p.a. |
|      5 | Reduce Low Birth Weight (LBW).                                                                    | By 6% @2%p.a. |

The  Abhiyaan  aims  to  reduce  malnutrition  in  the  Country  in  a  phased  manner, through a life  cycle  approach,  by  adopting  a  synergised  and  result  oriented  approach. The Abhiyaan ensures mechanisms for timely service delivery and a robust monitoring as well as intervention infrastructure. The Abhiyaan targets to bring down stunting of the children in the age group of 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by the year 2022.

The  Anganwadi  Services  and  POSHAN  Abhiyan,  both  are  implemented  in  all States/UT's, which includes economically backward areas of Bundelkhand. Further, while sanctioning new AWCs, States/UTs are advised to open these centres in the areas predominantly  inhabited  by  SC/ST/Weaker  Section  population.  They  have  also  been advised  to  re-assess  their  requirement  of  Anganwadi  Centres  (AWCs)  and  relocate AWCs  considering  the  need.  While  relocating,  villages  pre-dominantly  inhabited  by population belonging to SC/ST and minority community are to be given priority.

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