Steps were taken to improve the Nutritional status of Women and Children

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The specific targeted interventions being implemented by the Government to improve the nutritional status of pregnant women and lactating mothers under the umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) throughout the country are as under:

1. Anganwadi Services Scheme
2. POSHAN Abhiyaan
3. Pradhan MantriMatruVandanaYojana (PMMVY)

Anganwadi Services Scheme:

The beneficiaries under this scheme are children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers and a following package of services is provided under the scheme:

• Supplementary Nutrition (SNP)
• Pre-school Non-formal Education,
• Nutrition & Health Education,
• Immunization,
• Health Check-up, and
• 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.

POSHAN Abhiyan, 2018

• Launched from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan (flagship programme of MoWCD)
• Intro: Multiministerial convergence mission initiated after NITI recommendations to reduce the problem of Malnutrition. Govt is implem sev schemes under ICDS as direct target intervention. Maln is not direct cause of death but contri to Mortality and Morbidity by reduction in resistance to infections.
• Provisions
  1. The aim is to generate Jan Andolan towards Nutrition. Use of technology, Reduce stunting, Undernutrition, Anemia, and Low birth weight, focus on Adolescent girls and P&LW.
  2. It ensures convergence with various programs like Anganwadi Services, PM MatruVandanaYojana, Scheme for Adolescent Girls, NHM, Swach Bharat Mission, PDS, MGNREGA etc.
  3. Goals = It is a comprehensive approach to improve the nutritional status of Children from 0-6 years, Adolescent Girls Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers in 3 years from 2017-18.
  4. It will strive to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anaemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight by 2%, 2%, 3% and 2% per year for 3 years.
  5. Mission 25: It would strive to reduce the Stunting target from 38.4% (NFHS – IV) to 25% by 2022.
  6. 3 things = Technology, Behavioral Change and Targeted Approach.
  7. Decentralized Governance and Good Governance.
  8. 7 Components = Grievance redressal, Convergence, ICDS, Behavioral change, Incentives, Innovation, Training and capacity building.
  9. Integration with Digital India = VHSN - Very high speed network.
  10. Anganwadi Workers.
  11. Also include Breastfeeding.
  12. To achieve improvement in nutritional status of children from 0 to 6 years, adolescent girls, PM&LW.
  13. Mapping of var schemes wrt Maln, conv mechanism, ICT based real time monit system, incentivizing States to meet targets, incentivizing AWW for IT based tools, intro measurement of height of children, social audits, setting up Nutrition resource centers, Jan Andolan.
• Funding: For 3 years from 2017-18 with a Budget outlay of 9046 crore.
  1. 50% of 9046 crore is through Budgetary support with 60:40 (Center: States) for States; 90:10 Northeast and Himalayan and 100% for UTs without legislature.
  2. The rest 50% will be given by World Bank or other Multilateral Development Banks.
• > 10 crore poeple will be benefited. All States and UTs covered.
• Govt celeb Rashtriya Poshan Mah in Sep 2019 to emphasize need for healthy nutrition by sensitizing people for healthy eating and solve issues of obesity and undernourishment.
• Key components of the Abhiyaan are as follows:
  1. Convergence
  2. Use of technology
  3. Community Mobilization and Behavioral Change
  4. Jan Andolan
  5. Capacity Building
  6. Incentives and Awards
  7. Innovation

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)

• PMMVY is a Maternity Benefit program implemented in all districts in accordance with NFSA, 2013.
• It provides partial compensation for wage loss in terms of cash incentive for the 1st living child.
• Objective of the PMMVY is to provide partial compensation for the wage loss in terms of cash incentive so that the woman can take adequate rest before and after delivery of the first child and would also lead to improved health seeking behavior amongst the pregnant women & lactating mothers (PW&LM).
• The scheme envisages payment of maternity benefits of ?5,000/- in beneficiary’s bank/post office account linked to her Aadhaar Number in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode in three instalments.
• The eligible beneficiary is to receive the remaining cash incentive as per approved norms towards Maternity Benefit under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) after institutional delivery so that on an average, a woman gets ?6000/-.

Beneficiaries

1. All Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers, excluding PW&LM who are in regular employment with Center or State or PSUs or getting similar benefits under any law.
2. All PW&LM having pregnancy >= 1 Jan 2017 for first child.
3. In Case of Miscarriage/Still Birth/ Infant Mortality: Benefits will be given only once and remaining installments will be given in any future pregnancy.
4. Pregnant and Lactating AWWs/ AWHs/ ASHA may also avail the benefits under PMMVY.

Benefits

1. Cash incentive of Rs. 5000 in 3 installments
   1. 1000 on registration of pregnancy at Anganwadi Center (AWC).
   2. 2000 after 6 months of pregnancy on receiving >=1 ante natal check up.
   3. 2000 after children birth is registered and child received 1st vaccines.
2. Incentive of Rs. 1000 to be given through Janani Suraksha Yojana for promoting institutional delivery.

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