India's National Nutrition Month September 2018 Objectives, Aim, Achievement, History

India observes September 2018 as National Nutrition Month: Details, Aim, Message, Background

Union Ministry of Women and Child Development had decided to observe September 2018 as the National Nutrition Month to mark the country’s fight against malnutrition.

The National Nutrition Month intensive campaign will be undertaken with an aim of reaching every household with a message of nutrition — ‘Har Ghar Poshan Tyohar’ (every house a celebration of nutrition).

The National Nutrition Month will promote antenatal care, breastfeeding, fight anemia, convey messages about the importance of nutrition for girls and right age of marriage, deliver messages about the importance of growth monitoring and also promote hygiene and sanitation.

The National Nutrition will be jointly organised by NITI Ayog, Ministries of Women and Child Development (WCD), Health and Family Welfare, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Housing and Urban Affairs, Human Resources Development (HRD), Information and Broadcasting, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Tribal Affairs, Minority Affairs and AYUSH.

History / Background

India has the very high load of malnutrition. As per to the National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4), 38.% of India’s children aged less than 5 years are stunted (less height for their age), 21% are wasted (less weight for their height) and 35.7% are underweight.

For this, Government of India has launched Poshan Abhiyan (National Nutrition Mission) to fight malnutrition. It was launched in March 2018.

The Poshan Abhiyan targets to reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anemia (among young children, women, and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight. The target of the mission is to bring down stunting among children up to the age of six years from 38.4% to 25% by 2022.