Major National Programmes for Child Health and Nutrition in India

Child health and nutrition programmes in India address undernutrition, infant mortality, stunting, wasting, and micronutrient deficiencies through targeted interventions. Governed primarily by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), these initiatives combine direct food supplementation, immunization, health check-ups, and maternal care to improve child survival rates and long-term health outcomes.

Flagship Child Health and Nutrition Schemes

The government implements multiple flagship schemes to provide comprehensive nutritional support and healthcare services from early childhood through adolescence.

POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission)

• Launch and Scope: Launched in March 2018 from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, POSHAN Abhiyaan serves as the apex flagship programme to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anemia, and low birth weight.
• Target Reduction Rates: Aims to reduce stunting by 2% per annum, undernutrition by 2% per annum, low birth weight by 2% per annum, and anemia among young children, women, and adolescent girls by 3% per annum.
• POSHAN 2.0: Integrated Poshan Abhiyaan, Anganwadi Services, and Scheme for Adolescent Girls into an overarching umbrella scheme to strengthen nutritional delivery mechanisms.
• Poshan Tracker: Employs a digital governance application for real-time monitoring of nutritional delivery, growth tracking of children, and last-mile delivery at Anganwadi centers.

Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0

• Integrated Delivery: Merges supplementary nutrition, early childhood care and education (ECCE), and health check-ups under a unified operational umbrella.
• Target Demographics: Covers children aged 6 months to 6 years, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls in specified high-burden districts.
• Upgraded Infrastructure: Converts standard Anganwadi centers into Saksham Anganwadis equipped with smart learning tools, rainwater harvesting, and clean drinking water facilities.

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme

• Inception: Launched on October 2, 1975, ICDS ranks among the world’s largest community-based outreach programmes for early childhood development.
• Six Core Services: Delivers supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition and health education, immunization, health check-ups, and referral services.
• Implementation Mechanism: Operates through grassroots Anganwadi workers (AWWs) and Anganwadi helpers (AWHs) at the village level.

Clinical Health Interventions and Immunization

Clinical initiatives focus on preventable childhood illnesses, neo-natal care, and complete immunization coverage across rural and urban locations.

Mission Indradhanush and Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI)

• Objective: Launched in December 2014 to ensure full immunization coverage for children up to two years of age and pregnant women against vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Disease Coverage: Targets twelve vaccine-preventable diseases: diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles, rubella, severe form of childhood tuberculosis, hepatitis B, meningitis/pneumonia due to Hemophilus influenzae type B, Japanese encephalitis, and rotavirus.
• U-WIN Platform: Uses a digital registration and tracking platform modeled after Co-WIN to maintain digital immunization records for children and pregnant mothers.

PM-POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman)

• Evolution: Formerly known as the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in Schools (launched in 1995), rebranded as PM-POSHAN in 2021.
• Coverage Scope: Provides one cooked hot meal per day to elementary school students studying in Classes I to VIII in government and government-aided schools.
• Nutritional Standards: Mandates a minimum of 450 calories and 12 grams of protein for primary classes (I-V), and 700 calories and 20 grams of protein for upper primary classes (VI-VIII).

Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK)

• Child Health Screening: Launched in February 2013 under the National Health Mission (NHM) to screen children from birth to 18 years for “4 Ds”.
• Screening Categories: Covers Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Development delays including disability.
• Early Intervention Centers: Sets up District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) to offer specialized medical, surgical, and therapeutic management.

Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) Strategy

• Target Group: Targets children, adolescents, pregnant women, and lactating mothers using a 6x6x6 strategy.
• Strategy Framework: Covers 6 target beneficiary groups, 6 interventions, and 6 institutional mechanisms to reduce anemia prevalence.
• Prophylactic Supplementation: Provides weekly or daily Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) syrups and tablets alongside bi-annual deworming using Albendazole.

Summary Matrix of Major Programmes

Core Child Health Facts

• National Deworming Day: Observed bi-annually on February 10 and August 10 to administer Albendazole tablets to children aged 1–19 years.
• Home Based Newborn Care (HBNC): Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) conduct mandatory home visits during the first 42 days of life to prevent neonatal deaths.
• Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs): Established at district hospitals to treat sick, low birth weight, and premature newborns.
• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) Target: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2 aims to end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age.
• Vitamin A Supplementation: Administered to children aged 9 to 59 months every six months to prevent childhood blindness and boost immunity.
• Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC): Early, continuous skin-to-skin contact combined with exclusive breastfeeding recommended for low birth weight and premature infants.
• Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada: Conducted annually in September and March respectively to raise community awareness regarding nutrition and health.