Lok Sabha Question No. 136 (STARRED), answered on 2023-07-28
Subject: Prevention of Anaemia through Poshan Abhiyaan
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Bhartruhari Mahtab

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION NO. *136

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2023

## PREVENTION OF ANAEMIA THROUGH POSHAN ABHIYAAN

- *136    SHRI BHARTRUHARI MAHTAB:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that according to the fifth Report of National Family Health Survey of India, 67% of children under the age of four have anaemia;
- (b) if so, whether there are provisions under Poshan 2.0 or Poshan Abhiyaan to tackle this crisis and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether the Government has other programmes and missions to tackle this unique issue, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to  (c)  A statement is laid on the table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (A) TO (C) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 136 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2023 REGARDING 'PREVENTION OF ANAEMIA THROUGH POSHAN ABHIYAAN'

(a)  to  (c) Government  is  aware  about  the  prevalence  of  anemia  in  children. POSHAN Abhiyaan under Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (or Mission Poshan 2.0),  is  a  programmatic  approach  to  address  the  life  cycle  issues  of  malnutrition, including anemia through behaviour change, technology and convergence.  Anemia awareness and prevention is one of the core focus areas under the Abhiyaan as part of Poshan ke Paanch sutra .

Under Poshan Abhiyaan, behaviour change communication efforts are geared towards  addressing  good  nutrition  and  health  for  targeted  beneficiaries,  namely pregnant women, lactating mothers, children under 6 years of age and adolescent girls.  Community  Based  Events  or  CBEs  have  served  as  a  significant  strategy  in changing nutrition practices. The gatherings celebrate important milestones in the lives of the mother and child and serve as an important platform for disseminating essential messages  and  to  counsel  pregnant  and  lactating  women,  and  their  influencers (husbands/mothers-in-law)  on  appropriate  nutrition  and  health  behaviour.  Close  to 3.70 crore CBEs have been conducted under the Abhiyaan in the last four years.

Further, Jan Andolan is carried out through the annual Rashtriya Poshan Maah celebrated in the month of September and Poshan Pakhwada celebrated in March at scale across India. Over the years, themes have included overall nutrition, hygiene, water and sanitation, anemia prevention, role of Poshan Panchayats, AYUSH for Wellbeing,  Yoga  for  Health,  importance  of  Poshan  Vatikas  for  cultivation  of  local vegetables and medicinal plants/herbs at the community level, promotion of traditional foods etc. So far, through these Jan Andolans more than 60 crore nutrition-centric sensitisation activities have been reported with consistent focus on anemia.

During the last Poshan Maah celebrated in September 2022, States/UTs have reported a total of around 17.5 crore activities out of which around 49 lakh activities were  focused  on  anemia  prevention  and  treatment  in  children,  adolescent  girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. In the recently held Poshan Pakhwada during Mar-Apr 2023, States/UTs have reported a total of 4.89 crore sensitisation activities, of which around 62 lakh were focused around anemia camps/ activities for children, adolescent  girls  (14-18  years),  pregnant  women  and  lactating  mothers.  These activities  included  T3  Anemia  camps  (test,  treat,  talk),  IFA  distribution,  AYUSH for anemia, webinars, quiz and recipe competitions, traditional food practices, awareness rallies, sensitisation of panchayats on anemia etc., throughout the country.

Mission Poshan 2.0 announced in Budget 2021-22 is designed to address the issue  of  malnutrition  through  transparency,  accountability,  balanced  diets,  diet diversity and quality, greater grassroots involvement and last-mile delivery of services supported  by  key  strategies,  viz.,  corrective  strategies  to  address  nutrition  related deficiencies,  nutrition  awareness  strategies  to  develop  good  eating  habits  for sustainable health and well-being, strategies for communication and development of green  eco-systems  such  as  Poshan  Vatikas.  Under  Poshan  2.0,  focus  is  on  diet diversity, food fortification, leveraging traditional systems of knowledge and popularizing use of millets. Nutrition awareness strategies under Poshan 2.0 aim to develop sustainable health and well-being through regional/local meal plans to bridge dietary  gaps. Further,  greater  emphasis  is  being  given  on  the  use  of  millets  for preparation of Hot Cooked Meal and Take Home rations (not raw ration) at Anganwadi centres for Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Children below 6 years of age, as millets have high nutrient content which includes protein, essential fatty acid, dietary fibre,  B-Vitamins,  minerals  such  as  calcium,  iron,  zinc,  folic  acid  and  other  micronutrients  thus  helping  to  address  anemia  and  other  micro-nutrient  deficiencies  in women and children. Further, under Mission Poshan 2.0, only fortified rice is being allocated to States/UTs. As per information from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,  Government of India  has  launched  Anemia  Mukt  Bharat  (AMB)  strategy  with  the  target  to  reduce anemia  in  women,  children  and  adolescents  in  a  life  cycle  approach.  The  6x6x6 strategy  under  AMB  implies  six  age  groups,  six  interventions  and  six  institutional mechanisms.  The  six  interventions  under  Anemia  Mukt  Bharat  strategy  include, Prophylactic Iron Folic Acid Supplementation, Periodic de-worming, Intensified yearround  Behaviour  Change  Communication  Campaigns,  Testing  and  Treatment  of anemia  using  digital  methods  and  point  of  care  treatment,  Convergence  and Coordination with other line departments and ministries for strengthening implementation etc.

Under  National Health Mission (NHM),  several other  programmes  are implemented under Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition  (RMNCAH+N)  strategy  as  a  life  cycle  approach,  which  contribute  in addressing the problem of anemia in children. It includes Community Based care of New-born  and  Young  Children,  Mothers'  Absolute  Affection  (MAA),  Universal Immunization  Program,  Social  Awareness  and  Actions  to  Neutralize  Pneumonia Successfully  (SAANS);  Intensified  Diarrhoea  Control  Fortnight  (IDCF)  initiative, Nutrition Rehabilitation  Centres  (NRCs),  Rashtriya  Bal  Swasthya  Karyakaram (RBSK), Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) and Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND).

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