In a transformative stride towards gender equality and women’s empowerment, India has introduced an array of impactful schemes focused on enhancing the nutritional status and overall well-being of women. These schemes aim to break barriers, uplift women’s socio-economic status, and promote their health, nutrition, and empowerment. From providing essential healthcare support to ensuring better access to nutritious food, these initiatives foster a brighter future for women across the nation.
Schemes to Improve Nutritional Status of Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women, and Lactating Mothers
POSHAN ABHIYAN
POSHAN Abhiyaan: Launched on 8th March 2018 with the aim of improving the nutritional status of Adolescent Girls, Pregnant Women, and Lactating Mothers.
Mission Poshan 2.0: Seeks to address malnutrition challenges in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers through strategic shifts in nutrition content and delivery.
Focus Areas under Poshan 2.0:
- Maternal Nutrition
- Infant and Young Child Feeding Norms
- Treatment of MAM/SAM
Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0: An integrated nutrition support programme aligning efforts under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme of Anganwadi Services and POSHAN Abhiyaan.
Wellness through AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy)
Leveraging Traditional Wisdom: Utilizing time-tested community nutritional practices, including Yoga, medicinal herb cultivation, and AYUSH formulations for addressing conditions like anemia.
Fortified Rice and Local Nutrition: Mission Poshan 2.0 allocates fortified rice for Supplementary Nutrition and emphasizes millets and locally available nutritious food for adequate nutrition.
Region-wise Diet Charts: Developed for pregnant women across different regions – North, North-East, West, South, East, and Central.
Scheme for Adolescent Girls: Revised under Mission Poshan 2.0, with a lifecycle approach to malnutrition, targeting girls in the age bracket 14-18 years in North East and Aspirational Districts.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMVVY)
PMVVY provides universal coverage to pregnant and lactating mothers for direct cash benefits of Rs. 5000 for one child with an aim to promote heath seeking behaviour and for partial compensation of wage losses during the period of pregnancy and motherhood.
- Under Mission Shakti, the Government has decided to extend the benefit for 2nd child if it is girl child with a higher financial assistance of Rs. 6000.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, under the National Health Mission (NHM), has implemented various schemes to provide comprehensive maternal health services to pregnant women across the nation. These schemes are designed to ensure every woman receives dignified, respectful, and quality healthcare, leaving no room for denial of services and preventing preventable maternal and newborn deaths. Let’s explore the key initiatives transforming maternal health in India:
Other Schemes
- Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN): Ensures free and quality healthcare for women and newborns visiting public health facilities, eliminating preventable deaths.
- Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY): A conditional cash transfer scheme promoting institutional delivery and empowering pregnant women.
- Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK): Provides pregnant women with free delivery, including caesarean section, and various facilities like transport, diagnostics, medicines, blood, and diet.
- Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA): Offers pregnant women a fixed day for free and quality antenatal check-ups by specialists.
- LaQshya: Focuses on improving the quality of care during labor and delivery, ensuring respectful treatment of pregnant women.
- Functionalization of First Referral Units (FRUs): Enhances access to quality care for pregnant women through proper manpower and blood storage units.
- Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Wings: Set up at high caseload facilities to improve care for mothers and children.
- Obstetric HDU & ICU: Established in tertiary care facilities to handle complicated pregnancies.
- Monthly Village Health, Sanitation, and Nutrition Day (VHSND): An outreach activity at Anganwadi centers for maternal and child care, including nutrition.
- Birth Waiting Homes (BWH): Promotes institutional delivery and healthcare access in remote and tribal areas.
- Outreach Camps: Improve healthcare reach in tribal and hard-to-reach regions, track high-risk pregnancies, and raise awareness for maternal and child health services.
- Performance-Based Incentives to ANMs (SBAs): Incentivizes ANMs trained in SBA for home deliveries in remote areas.
- Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Portal: Ensures seamless provision of services to pregnant women and newborns through a web-enabled tracking system.
- MCP Card and Safe Motherhood Booklet: Educate pregnant women on diet, rest, danger signs of pregnancy, benefit schemes, and institutional deliveries.
Additionally, the Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years is implemented under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) since 2011. The scheme aims to increase awareness about menstrual hygiene, promote the use of high-quality sanitary napkins, and ensure their safe disposal in an environmentally friendly manner.
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