Building Strong Foundations: Community Action Against Malnutrition

Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi emphasizes public awareness and community participation as essential in combating malnutrition. Initiatives like Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada rely on community involvement for success. The integration of technology and new nutrition standards helps target and improve the effectiveness of interventions.

Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi emphasized the importance of raising public awareness as a key strategy to combat malnutrition. Speaking at the 17th Civil Services Day programme, she highlighted the role of community participation as foundational to initiatives like Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada.

Devi stressed that malnutrition is not confined to the economically disadvantaged and urged greater awareness of proper nutrition for children as essential in addressing the issue. She underscored the significance of community involvement in advancing the Anganwadi mission, citing the Saksham Anganwadi 2.0 programme's focus on nutrition and early childhood education.

Technology plays a vital role in ensuring targeted delivery, according to Minister Devi. The Poshan Tracker app is instrumental in helping Anganwadi workers identify households in need, thus facilitating effective intervention. Echoing her views, Secretary Anil Malik discussed the community-driven approach and the integration of new nutrition guidelines to enhance program efficacy.

(With inputs from agencies.)