Child, Adolescent and Woman Nutrition in India

Dr Sheila C. Vir

In the last decade, addressing the persistent problem of maternal, infant, young child and adolescent malnutrition in India has gained significant attention. With the well-established serious implications of malnutrition on mortality and morbidity; mental health and cognitive development; activity and productivity and overall economic development, today there is an unprecedented political commitment to improving the grave woman and child nutrition scenario in the country. POSHAN ABHIYAAN (Nutrition Mission) was launched in a Mission mode by the Honourable Prime Minister of India on March 8, 2018, followed by measures for an effective implementation of an integrated nutrition strategy through POSHAN 2.0 in 2022. These developments led to a rapid increase in the interest in the subject of public health nutrition in the country and a higher involvement of various institutions dealing with the subject. The book with 15 chapters tracks history of evolvement of public nutrition policies and strategies, presents an update on the nutrition scenario, analyses the experiences and synthesises emerging lessons in the prevention and control of malnutrition. Additionally, the book includes chapters with details of each of the various government systems such as Health, ICDS, NRLM, PDS, Education/MDM, Water-Sanitation that provide lead in mainstreaming nutrition actions that directly or indirectly impact on accelerating in the improvement of the nutrition situation of Woman, adolescents and children.

The book is intended to be an indispensable reference for teachers and students of nutrition, community medicine, public health and development as well as professionals involved in the formulation and implementation of the nutrition policies and programmes.

Dr Sheila C. Vir , MSc PhD is a Senior Consultant and Founder Director of Public Health Nutrition and Development Centre, New Delhi. Dr Vir was awarded PhD by the Institute of Clinical Sciences, Queen’s University of Belfast, United Kingdom. She joined UNICEF in 1987 and worked closely with the Government of India and State Government of Uttar Pradesh in policy formulation, development of innovative strategies and programme designs as well in the implementation of public health nutrition programmes. She is a life member of the Nutrition Society of India (NSI) and the Indian Public Health Association. Dr Vir was elected Secretary, NSI 2004-2008. She is a recipient of the Commonwealth Van den Berg Nutrition Award 1978, NSI Srikantia Memorial Lecture Award, 2013 and Kamala Puri Sabharwal 42nd Memorial Lecture Award 2015.

Contents:

Preface

Section I: Malnutrition in India: Current Policies and Programmes

• Woman, Adolescent and Child Nutrition
• Magnitude of the Malnutrition Problem in India
• Determinants of Undernutrition in Children and Woman
• Maternal and Child Undernutrition
• Iron Deficiency Anaemia
• National Policy on Management of Vitamin A Deficiency and Biannual Vitamin A Supplementation Strategy
• National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP)
• Fortification of Cereals, Oil and Salt with Micronutrients;

Section II: An Overview of the Primary Programme Delivery Systems: Direct Nutrition and Nutrition Sensitive Interventions

•The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme
• National Health Mission
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM)
• Public Distribution System
• National Programme of Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)
• WASH Programme in India;

Section III: Intensifying Measures to Address Malnutrition in Woman, Adolescents and Children

•POSHAN ABHIYAAN and POSHAN 2.0
• Index