Lok Sabha Question No. 2211 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-05-06
Subject: Infant Feeding
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2211 TO BE ANSWERED ON 6 TH MAY, 2016

## INFANT FEEDING

## 2211. DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL "NISHANK":

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken note  of  World  Health  Organisation  (WHO) report regarding India's failure to monitor the programme on infant and young child feeding;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the react ion of the Government thereon;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  is  making use  of  technology  for  monitoring  and information collection for successful implementation of this programme;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the special measures adopted by the Government to monitor and successful implementation of Infant and Young Child Feeding Programme in remote, rural and tribal areas?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)

- (a) & (b): There is no WHO report on Infant Feeding. However, the World Breastfeeding Trends  Initiative  (WBTi)  is  adapted  from  the  World  Health  Organization  (WHO)  tool  an developed  byInternational  Baby Food  Action  Network  (IBFAN)  Asia  for  assessing  and monitoring  t he  state  of  implementation  of  the  Global  strategy  for  Infant  and  Young  Ch Feeding in 100 countries. The 4 th assessment of WBTi for India, carried out in 2015, mentions l ack  of  monitoring  and  evaluation  of  the  Infant  &  Young  Child  Feeding  components  i government health and nutrition programme.
- (c) & (d): Early breastfeeding is monitored through Mother and Child tracking systems a Health Management Information System.
- (e).  Following  efforts  are  being  undertaken  to  monitor  and  successfully  implement  In fant  & Young Child feeding practices, apart from mentioned above:
- i. National Guidelines on Infant and Young Child Feeding, 2006, have been issued by t Ministry of Women and Child Development, to emphasise appropriate Infant and Young Child  Feeding  (IYCF)  p ractices.  The  Ministry  of  Health  &  FW  has  also  released guidelines on Enhancing optimal Infant & young child feeding practices in 2013.
- ii. Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH) counsellor is provided  at  high  case  load  delivery  points  for  counselling  and  support  to  lac mothers on breastfeeding.
- iii. Incentive is provided to ASHA under the Home Based New - born Care programme for promotion of IYCF through home visits, upto 42 days after birth. Extended visits for low birth weight babies and babies discharged from Special New - born Care Units (SNCU) upto two years of age are also carried out to ensure IYCF practices as part of pac services.
- iv. Counselling  and  support  fo r IYCF  is  provided  at  each contact point  such  as immunization, weighing etc.
- v. IYCF training is provided to frontline workers and Staff Nurses for capacity buildin
- vi. Infant  Milk  Substitutes  Feeding  Bottles,  and  Infant  Foods  (Regulation  of  Product Supply and Distribution) Act, 1993, as amended 2003, has been enacted in the countr protect and promote breastfeeding and ensure proper use of infant foods.
- vii. Recently,  the  National  Steering  Committee  on  Infant  and  Young  Child  Feeding  an National Coordinat ion Committee on Infant and Young Child Feeding have been notified to give policy guidelines, coordinate and integrate all activities relating to bre and IYCF and advise on measures to promote breastfeeding.
- viii. The restructured ICDS Mission also ai ms to increase Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices in the country. Under the Care and Nutrition Counselling component, focu to provide counselling to women on issues relating to infant feeding practices. Und Mission, there is also provision of an additional Anganwadi Worker in 200 High Burden Districts of the country  for imparting counseling and behavior change  communicat through  community  and  home  visits  as  well  as  demonstration  of  appropriate  feedi practices.
- ix. Indira Gandhi Matritva Sa hyog Yojana (IGMSY), is a centrally sponsored Conditional Maternity Benefit scheme for pregnant and lactating women, aims to improve nutritio and  health  status  of  pregnant  and  lactating  women  across  the  country  by  pa compensating  for  their  wage  loss .  The  scheme  encourages  women  to  follow  optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding practices including early and exclusive breast fee for the first six months. The scheme is now operational in 53 selected districts ac country.
- x. 'World  Breastfeeding Week' is  celebrated  every  year  from  1 - 7  August  by  organizing various activities such as State level Workshop/ Seminar, lecture - cum - practical demonstration, etc. for creating greater awareness. Awareness is also generated th audio - visual medium for pr omotion of optimal IYCF. IYCF promotion activities are also carried out under the Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) implemented du last week of July and first month of August.