Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)
Wokha, Nagaland
Poshan Abhiyan:
The Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition or POSHAN Abhiyaan or National Nutrition Mission, is Government of India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Launched by the Prime Minister on the occasion of the 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.
Targets/objectives of the programme
• To reduce stunting, underweight, and low birth weight, each by 2% per year; and anemia among young children, adolescents and women each by 3% per year until 2022.
• The minimum target to reduce stunting is 2% every year, but the mission will strive to bring it down from 38.4% in 2016 to 25% by 2022.
Four point strategy/pillars of the mission
• Inter-sectoral convergence for better service delivery
• Use of technology (ICT) for real time growth monitoring and tracking of women and children
• Intensified health and nutrition services for the first 1000 days
• Jan Andolan
With the overarching aim to build a people’s movement (Jan Andolan) around malnutrition, POSHAN Abhiyaan intends to significantly reduce malnutrition in the next three years.
POSHAN Maah
Under Poshan Abhiyaan, the month of September is observed as Poshan Maah i.e. Nutrition month every year, since 2018. It includes a month-long activities focused 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 which is one of the strategies under the Poshan Abhiyan. A unique kind of nutrition park has been created at Statue of Unity (Gujarat), where one can witness nutrition related education along with fun and frolic.
The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Wokha will also join the nation wide campaing on Poshan Abhiyaan and celebrate the Poshan Maah from September 1st to 30th 2020 to address the malnutrition with a targeted approach by 2022 through awareness and trainings on the aspects of Nutri-garden, Nutri thali & bio fortified varieties and establishment of Nutri- garden around household and Anganwadi centres having land.
