The event is a part of the Rashtriya Poshan Maah schedule
Some time next week – between September 10-12 – prime minister Narendra Modi will e-meet the country’s 24 lakh health and Anganwadi workers.
As the country observed Rashtriya Poshan Maah (national nutrition month), the next edition of the prime minister’s Direct Samvad will address the workers who are at the frontline in the battle against malnutrition. In an earlier edition of the “face to face” interaction, Modi had addressed beneficiaries of women self help groups under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission(DAY-NRLM).
Modi is expected to interact with 14-18 workers so the ministries of health and women and child development(WCD) have been asked to “prepare” 24-30 participants.
38.4% 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
Cabinet secretary P K Sinha has already held a video conferencing meet with state officials. “The Direct Samvad will provide an opportunity to the frontline functionaries to share their experiences and success stories with the prime minister, by various activities being undertaken by them as part of POSHAN Abhiyan, especially as part of Rashtriya Poshan Maah and various schemes of MOH&FW (ministry of health of family welfare),” reads WCD secretary Rakesh Srivastava’s letter to other ministries.
India has a very high burden of malnutrition. According to data from the National Family Health Survey 4, 38.4% 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. Between 2005-06 when NFHS-3 was conducted and 2015-16 when the subsequent round happened, the percentage of wasted children went up from 19.8% to 21% and the percentage of severely wasted children went up from 6.4% to 7.5%.
