POSHAN Maah launched in Jammu; POSHAN Panchayats, awareness on breast feeding to mark the month

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), keeping pace with an intensive campaign being launched across the country for holistic nourishment of children with severe acute malnutrition, Wednesday launched POSHAN Maah 2020 at Jammu.
The event was formally inaugurated by Mission Director ICDS, J&K, Nitu Gupta with conduct of an orientation program in Panchayat Bhavan, Rail Head, Jammu.
Among others present were D.S Katoch, Joint director, ICDS J&K, Atul Kumar, Deputy Director, Nodal Officer, Poshan Maah J&K, District Program Officers and CDPOs of various ICDS Projects besides a Nodal Officer from Rural Development Department was also the part of this program.
Pertinently, POSHAN Maah 2020 is being celebrated across the nation from 1st of September to 30th of September 2020 as part of Jan Andolan under POSHAN Abhiyaan. This is the third successive year that POSHAN Maah, Center government’s flagship program aimed at to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, is being celebrated across the nation.
The main objective of this year’s POSHAN Maah is eradication of Malnutrition by identifying Severe Acute Malnourished children (SAM) and their rehabilitation besides promotion and establishment of nutrition gardens/kitchen gardens to provide additional source of nutrients to beneficiaries of Anganwadi centers.
During the whole month, special awareness campaigns for Promotion of Optimal Breast feeding would be organised. Besides, in convergence with ICDS, RDD, Health and Education department, POSHAN Panchayats under digital mode would be held wherever feasible.
The five key themes of POSHAN Abhiyaan, also known as Paanch Sutras, would be highlighted and focused upon during the event. These themes are first 1000 days of child, Anaemia prevention in women, children and adolescent girls, Diarrhoea management, Hygiene and sanitation besides Nutrient rich food.
Mission Director exhorted upon the Anganwadi Workers to ensure that they approach their beneficiaries through telephones and text messages in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. She also emphasized on holding digital Panchayats and creating social media platforms for maximum outreach. She asked all present to ensure entries of their activities on JAN ANDOLAN Dashboard. She also directed the concerned to work in tandem with departments like Agriculture, Health and Family Welfare, RDD and School Education for getting seeds for Poshan gardens, organizing nutrition e-quiz and meme competitions involving children, carrying out immunization drives etc.
She further asked the CDPOs to establish 50 Nutrition gardens in each project besides identification and adoption of SAM children by government officials till the time these children are rehabilitated into normal category.
Meanwhile, monitoring Committees comprising members from various convergent departments have been formulated for implementation of activity calendar issued to ensure uniformity of activities under POSHAN Abhiyaan. Besides, convergent departments have also been approached to create Nodal Officers at District level so that the expected outcomes of Poshan Maah are achieved.
Joint Director, ICDS emphasized the importance of Nutritious diet in boosting immunity besides elaborately explaining about the role of various micro and macro nutrients in a balanced diet.
Nodal Officer, Poshan Maah and Deputy Director, ICDS said India has maximum stunted children and if our Country is successful in reducing the burden of stunted children we will be successful in achieving Sustainable Development Goals SDG-2 and SDG-3.
Further, CDPO Kishtwar Mohit presented his successful implementation of pilot project of backyard poultries and Kitchen gardens in Anganwadi Centers.
Later, the program ended with the Poshan Pledge by all the participants.