MoU signed to achieve improvement in nutritional status among adolescent girls in five Utkarsh districts
Feb 26, 2024
New Delhi [India], February 26 : A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of AYUSH on Monday, aimed at achieving improvement in the nutritional status of adolescent girls in five Utkarsh districts.
Through collaboration and coordinated efforts, Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) and the Ministry of AYUSH have been working towards leveraging traditional knowledge, promotion of wellness through joint yoga protocols, and promoting diet diversity through consumption of locally grown wholesome foods.
To further strengthen this collaboration, a national event was held today at Vigyan Bhawan, under the chairpersonship of Union Minister of Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, Smriti Zubin Irani, and Union Minister of AYUSH and Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal.
Union Minister Smriti Irani, talking to ANI, said, support will be provided to more than 90,000 adolescent girls in Utkarsh districts to tackle Anaemia.
"By the establishment of the Ayush Ministry, PM Modi has successfully developed a link between traditional and modern medicine...Aid will be provided to more than 90 thousand adolescent girls in Utkarsh districts to tackle Anaemia...," Smriti Irani said.
This integration seeks to harness the strengths of traditional healthcare systems like Ayurveda, while incorporating modern health care systems and techniques to promote holistic well-being among women and children.
Mission Utkarsh is an initiative to improve the KPIs (Key Performance Indicator) for select districts to the State average in one year and to national average or better in two years' time.
Nutrition solutions rooted in traditional wisdom and practices are an important component of Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (POSHAN 2.0), the umbrella program of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Interventions and strategies under this program seek to combat malnutrition through a multi-sectoral approach, collaborating with key Ministries and Departments and with States/Union Territories.
To reduce stunting, wasting, anaemia and low birth weight, the Common Core of POSHAN 2.0 focuses on Wellness through AYUSH which aims towards not only malnutrition deficiencies but also focuses on maternal nutrition, infant and young child feeding norms and treatment of MAM/SAM children.
Important activities for behavior change communication are also conducted under national community events such as Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada.
