POSHAN Abhiyaan

POSHAN Abhiyaan (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) is the Government of India’s flagship nutrition programme launched in March 2018. It aims to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anaemia, and low birth weight among children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. The mission uses technology, community engagement, and convergence of government schemes to improve nutritional outcomes.

What Is POSHAN Abhiyaan?

India has one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world. POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched to address this with a mission-mode approach, setting specific targets to reduce malnutrition by 2022.

Key objectives include:
– Reduce stunting (low height for age) in children under 5 by 2% per year
– Reduce undernutrition (low weight for age) by 2% per year
– Reduce anaemia in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers by 3% per year
– Reduce low birth weight by 2% per year

Key Strategies

**Technology-driven monitoring:**
Anganwadi workers use a smartphone-based Real Time Monitoring System (RTMS) to track children’s growth, beneficiary attendance, and nutrition data in near-real time.

**Convergence of schemes:**
POSHAN Abhiyaan brings together ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services), Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, National Health Mission, and other nutrition-related programmes under one umbrella.

**Community mobilisation:**
Poshan Maah (Nutrition Month) is observed every September as a nationwide campaign involving gram sabhas, schools, and community events to spread awareness on nutrition, breastfeeding, and sanitation.

**Dietary diversification and supplementary nutrition:**
Anganwadi centres provide Take Home Rations and hot cooked meals to children and pregnant/lactating women.

POSHAN 2.0

In 2021, POSHAN 2.0 merged ICDS with the Poshan Abhiyaan, PM Matru Vandana Yojana, and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls into a single, strengthened nutrition mission. POSHAN 2.0 focuses more on dietary practices, behaviour change, and addressing anaemia through supplementation and diet.

Practical Example

Aarti, a pregnant woman in a village in Bihar, visits the local Anganwadi centre regularly. The Anganwadi worker weighs her and tracks her haemoglobin levels using the RTMS app. Aarti receives iron and folic acid tablets, counselling on diet during pregnancy, and supplementary nutrition. Her data is uploaded to the central nutrition dashboard, which monitors programme progress at the district and state level.

Key Takeaways

– POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anaemia, and low birth weight in children and women
– Uses smartphone-based real-time monitoring by Anganwadi workers
– Poshan Maah (September) is a national nutrition awareness campaign
– POSHAN 2.0 merged multiple schemes for a unified, stronger nutrition mission
– The programme works through Anganwadi centres, which serve as frontline nutrition delivery points