Poshan 2.0

• 02 Sep 2021

Why in News

Recently, 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 1^st September.

• A month-long celebration of the POSHAN Abhiyan mission places special attention on Severe Acute Malnourished (SAM) children.

Key Points

• About:
  
  • It is an umbrella scheme covering the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) (Anganwadi Services, Poshan Abhiyan, Scheme For Adolescent Girls, National Creche Scheme).
  • It was announced in Union Budget 2021-22 by merging supplementary nutrition programmes and the POSHAN Abhiyaan.
  • It 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.
• Poshan Maah:
  
  • Month of September is celebrated as POSHAN Maah since 2018 to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
  • 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.
    
    • SBCC is the strategic use of communication approaches to promote changes in knowledge, attitudes, norms, beliefs and behaviours.
• Poshan Vatika:
  
  • It’s main objective 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.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan:
  
  • Also called National Nutrition Mission, was launched by the government on the occasion of the International Women’s Day on 8^th March, 2018.
  • The Abhiyaan targets to reduce Stunting, undernutrition, Anemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per annum respectively.
  • It also targets to bring down stunting among children in the age group 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by 2022.
• Scenario of 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.
  • According to an Assocham study of the year 2018, the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) suffered a decline of 4% due to malnutrition.
    
    • The report also found that children suffering from malnutrition after growing up earn 20% less than those who have had healthy childhoods.
  • The number of SAM children in the country was earlier 80 lakh, which has now come down to 10 lakh.
• Related Government Initiatives:
  
  • Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan
  • Mid-day Meal (MDM) scheme
  • The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)

Malnutrition

• It refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition addresses 3 broad groups of 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).
• 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.

Source: IE