‘Anganwadi push to boost maternal, child health in UP'

Lucknow: UP’s network of Anganwadi centres is emerging as the backbone of maternal and child healthcare in rural areas, with the UP govt claiming significant gains in nutrition, institutional deliveries and monitoring of pregnant women through technology-driven interventions.

Stating this on the eve of Mother’s Day, an official spokesperson said that over 2.12 crore children, pregnant women and lactating mothers are benefiting from nearly 1.9 lakh Anganwadi centres functioning across the state.

Officials said Anganwadi centres have evolved beyond their traditional role of supplementary nutrition distribution and are now acting as integrated hubs for maternal care, nutrition monitoring and early childhood support.

Officials said that anaemia among pregnant women has reduced by more than five percentage points, while institutional deliveries have crossed 84%.

To improve transparency and efficiency, biometric systems have been introduced for supplementary nutrition distribution at Anganwadi centres.

Growth monitoring devices and smartphones have also been provided to workers to track the nutritional status of mothers and children in real time through the nutrition tracker platform.

More than one lakh Anganwadi workers and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) have reportedly been trained for the programme, which has achieved an operational efficiency rate of 98%, according to officials.

The govt said over 23,000 Saksham Anganwadi centres equipped with modern facilities are currently operational, while approval has been granted for 266 new centres.

Officials added that over 60 lakh women have benefited under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana in the state.