‘Thematic’ POSHAN Maah To Be Celebrated Across The Nation Throughout The Month Of September As Part Of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav

POSHAN Abhiyaan is Government of India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescent Girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Launched by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on the occasion of  International Women’s Day on 8 March, 2018 from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, the POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) Abhiyaan directs the attention of the country towards the problem of malnutrition and address it in a mission-mode.Focusing on the aims of POSHAN Abhiyaan, Mission Poshan 2.0 (Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0) has been announced in the Budget 2021-2022 as an integrated nutrition support programme, to strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach and outcomes with focus on developing practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity to disease and malnutrition.

POSHAN Abhiyaan is a Jan Andolan or “People’s Movement” byincorporating inclusive participation of public representatives of local bodies, government departments of the States/UTs, social organizations and the public and private sector at large. In order to ensure community mobilization and bolster people’s participation, every year, the month of September is celebrated as POSHAN Maah across the country.

This year, as India celebrates the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to ensure speedy& intensive outreach, the entire month has been subdivided into weekly themes for focused and assimilated approach towards improving Holistic Nutrition. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has planned a series of activities throughout the month in tandem with the States/UTs.

The following table highlights the thematic approach being followed this year:

The wide gamut of activities during the POSHAN Maahthis year will broadly focus on Plantation Drive for POSHAN VATIKA by all the stakeholders in the space available at Anganwadis, School Premises, Gram Panchayats and other places. Plantation activity will focus on planting of saplings of nutritious fruit trees, local vegetables and medicinal plants and herbs. Sensitization/awareness drive for COVID vaccination and Observance of COVID Protocols will also be held.  There will be a special drive for Height and Weight Measurement for Children (under 6 Years of Age) during the PoshanMaah.Slogan writing and Recipe competitions will be organized to highlight the locally available nutritious food for pregnant women. There will be Sessions on “5-minute Yoga Protocol” (Y-break or yoga break) at various workplaces for the employees of Government and corporate bodies, Awareness campaign on importance of  regional / local food, Distribution of Nutrition Kits comprising of regional nutritious food (eg.Sukadi-Gujrat, Panjiri– Punjab, Sattu– Bihar, Chikki– Maharashtra), Anaemia Camps, Drive for block wise Identification of SAM Children, Supervised Supplementary Feeding Program for SAM children as an initiative to tackle prevalence of SAM in children up to the age of 5 years, Sensitisation for Community Management of Acute Malnutrition and Distribution of nutritious food for SAM children.

During the PoshanMaah, activities related to nutrition awareness will be carried out across all the States/UTs right upto the grass root levels.The implementing departments /agencies like women and child development department through Anganwadi workers, health and family welfare department through ASHA, ANM, primary health centres, community health centres, school education and literacy department through schools, Panchayati Raj departments through panchayats, and rural development trough self-help groups will carry out the activities and spread the message of holistic nutrition throughout the month to ensure a healthier future for women and children.

Launched with a noble and holistic goal, PoshanAbhiyaan overall intends to increase nutritional awareness and responsiveness among mothers of young children, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, family members including husbands, father, mothers-in-lawand community members, health care providers (ANM, ASHA, Anganwadi worker) about vital nutrition behaviours. The POSHAN Maah intends to achieve the holistic goals of PoshanAbhiyaan with swiftness in a harmonized manner.