Our Correspondent
Kohima | September 15
The need to ensure adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and children have been stressed at the state level Poshan seminar held here at Hotel Japfu under the aegis of Directorate of Social Welfare, Nagaland.
T. Merangtsungba Aier, Director Social Welfare Nagaland in his address said that different activities will mark Poshan Abhiyaan across the state till September 30. He said the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) is implementing Deendayal Antodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) as a poverty alleviation programme across the country.
The aim of the programme is to mobilize one woman from each of the rural poor families into SHG, Federate the SHG into higher level federations and build capacity of these federations to take up diversified livelihoods and promote linkages with banks for credit linkages.
The Government of India had taken a decision that Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) and MoRD should take efforts towards effective convergence of DAY-NRLM and ICDS to ensure better monitoring of the nutritional improvement programmes for the PW/ and LM and children by active local SHGs of Women.
The Director said that the DAY-NSRLM scheme with the Anganwadi services can definitely play a major role in not only improving the life of the villagers but also for holistic development of the children reducing the level of malnutrition in the country.
The purpose is to bring convergent efforts in NHM, DAY-NRLM, and lCDS for improving nutritional outcomes in the National Nutrition Mission.
Referring to convergence through Village, Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Day (VHSND), he said Village, Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND) (Joint structure of MoHFW and MWCD) is organised once every month and provides services like registration of all pregnant women.
In order to promote the message of facilities available at VHSND and to mobilize all beneficiaries to participate in the VHSND, he suggested that members of SHGs. VOs, and Cluster Federations should participate in the VHSND meetings.
ASHAs/ AWWs/ ANMs should occasionally participate in the cluster meetings of SHGs. 6-24 months is critical as it is during this time that vulnerable children slide into malnutrition and currently the AWWs and ASHAs have limited contact with the mother and child in this crucial period, he said.
Thus, woman SHGs have a huge role in leadership, adopting and communicating the message for behaviour change, the director said. He said that V0s and SHG can be a useful medium to keep a check on work being done by the AWW end ASHA, and also to look over the timely and smooth conduct of VHSND.
Members of these bodies, in close collaboration with PR1 representatives, can act as pressure groups to ensure timely service delivery by the Health and ICDS machinery at the village and community level.
He added that the V0s and SHGs should coordinate with ASHAs to track the families of children who are discharged from NRC centres under NHM and mobilise women from these families to join SHGs and link them to other livelihood interventions. He said ASHAs will undertake home visits of every child every two months from 4th months post birth till one year to monitor their nutrition status.
“This is expected to help in prevention, early detection and timely treatment in case the women or child is perceived to be at risk,” he added.
The resource persons of the seminar included; Dr. Akaba, Deputy Director, Health & Family Welfare, Menou Chadi, chief operating officer RD- NRLM and Tulula Pongen, Addl. Director & State Nodal Officer, Poshan Abhiyaan Nagaland, Department of Social Welfare.
The discussion hour was led by Soren Kikon, CDPO, Master Trainer, Poshan Abhiyaan. The function was chaired by Michael Zeren, SPO, ICDS while vote of thanks was proposed by Wati Ozukum, Assistant Director, social welfare Nagaland.
