Bid to reduce malnutrition among women and children

GUWAHATI: Malnutrition has always been a major problem in the state with about 39 per cent women and children suffering from malnourishment.
To deal with the problem, the central government has decided to implement the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme through mission mode as the scheme has failed to reduce the challenges of malnutrition single-handedly.
The scheme tries to ensure holistic, physical, psychosocial, cognitive and emotional development of children under six years of age. It also looks after promotion of optimal early childhood care, development and learning, including maternal care.
The ICDS programme officer of the state social welfare department, Syed Esme Alam, said, "The ICDS is a much talked-about programme and often blamed for its failure to single-handedly meet the huge challenges of reducing maternal and child malnutrition. Had there been appropriate and time-bound investment of resources to strengthen the scheme, it had the potential to reduce malnourishment among children under three years of age, enhancing early development and learning capabilities of all children."
He said the consensus of transforming ICDS in mission mode has emerged after a series of consultations and deliberations held with the state government, ministries concerned, planning commission, members of civil society and voluntary organizations.
The experiences from the implementation of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in mission mode have shown the advantages of implementing the ICDS scheme in mission mode.
"Work under the ICDS mission mode has already started. We are carrying out several training programmes in different parts of the state. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with the state government and the central government. It is awaiting cabinet approval. There will be a mission directorate for dealing with all the schemes," he added.
Alam said the main goal is to prevent and reduce malnutrition as early as possible, to focus on reaching children under three years of age and an integrated approach to early child development.
Anganwadi centres will be equipped with all required facilities and will be made child-friendly centres with an improved infrastructure. The ICDS in mission mode will facilitate its flexible implementation with appropriate institutional mechanism at central, state, district and block levels, Alam said.
"The anganwadi centres will be transformed into a vibrant early childhood development centre, which will act as a first village outpost for health, nutrition and early learning and provide counselling to the mothers," he added.