Kohima, August 27 (MExN): As part of Jan Andolan, a state level meeting of the departments for implementation of POSHAN Abhiyaan and National Nutrition month (Rhastriya Poshan Maah) was held on August 27 at Secretariat Conference Hall.
A DIPR report stated that Secretary, Department of Social Welfare, Sarah R. Ritse in her keynote address briefed on the activities of Jan Andolan that it is a key influencer and an agent in empowering families to promote optimal physical and cognitive development of their children.
She added that POSHAN Abhiyaan which was launched on March 8, 2018 by the Prime Minister of India is a flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mother that intends to give prominence to nutrition at the highest level in the country. She further appraised that to ensure holistic approach all 36 states/UTs and 718 districts will be covered in a phase manner by the year 2020.
Additional Director, Social Welfare& State Nodal Officer, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Tulula Pongen in her brief overview on POSHAN Maah, said that it is a programme which aims to ensure service delivery and interventions by use of technology, behavioural change through convergence and lays down specific targets to be achieved. She added that September will be observed as Nutrition Month with the aim of reaching every household with 'har ghar poshan tyohar'(every house a celebration of nutrition).
She further highlighted that Abhiyaan targets to reduce stunting, under nutrition, anemia and low birth weight in children, as also, focus on adolescents girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers, thus holistically addressing malnutrition and low birth weight by 2%,3% and 2% per annum respectively. The target of the mission is to bring down stunting among children in the age group 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by 2022.
She also appraised that the month-long intensive campaign will promote antenatal care, breast feeding, fight anemia, convey messages about the importance of nutrition for girls and the right age of marriage, deliver messages about the importance of growth monitoring and also promote hygiene and sanitation.
CDPO (Master Trainer in ICDS-CAS) James Ezung presented POSHAN Maah Dash board on how to access and monitor the dashboard. He said that it is an online dashboard to showcase live and real performance of Jan Andolan Mission through online form and app data entry on daily basis. The entry levels of the activities so far are conducted in 3 level-headed by district, state and block level.
"POSHAN pledge" was administered to all the participants by Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Department of Social Welfare, Sarah R. Ritse. The various line Departments of Planning; Health& Family Welfare, NHM; Rural Development, NRLM supporting the initiative gave detailed presentations on their action plan to make the state malnutrition free.
The partners for the initiative are Niti Ayog, Ministries of Women & Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Housing & Urban Affairs, Human Resources Development, Information & Broadcasting, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Tribal Affairs, Minority Affairs and AYUSH.
