Nutrition Initiatives in India

Health being critical to the life expectancy of every individual and of the nation as a whole, and being critical too in large countries such as India. Nutrition initiatives in India being one of the key factors that influence that aspect of health. While India has made strides in rapid economic progress, it still struggles with the issue of poor nutrition for thousands of its people often among the youngest.

The Indian economy may be experiencing unprecedented growth but despite this millions of its population, particularly children remain malnourished which is a persistent challenge in India.

To address this challenge, the Government of India is implementing various nutrition programmes, including several PPPs. In this piece we look at why nutrition initiatives in India are important and how Public Private Partnerships (PPP) are key to fighting malnutrition, particularly among children.

How Common is Malnutrition in India

“Malnutrition continues to be one of the most severe public health challenges in India, impacting across all age groups and social strata,”. The worst part about malnutrition is the affect it can have on children. NFHS-5 data from 2019–20 shows nearly 35% of Indian children below five years suffer from stunting implying chronic malnourishment. Furthermore, 21 percent of kids in this same age group are wasted, representing severe malnutrition. These figures make an immediate case for comprehensive nutritional programs.

Nutrition Initiatives By Indian Government

Indian government have also introduced various program for improving the nutritional position of its citizens against malnutrition. Some of the notable initiatives include:

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): It is one of the largest and most important nutrition initiatives in India. ICDS, implemented by 14 lakh Anganwadi workers, provides a range of services including nutritious meals, preventive healthcare, and early learning programs for infants, young children, and pregnant mothers. The scheme functions through a network of Anganwadi centres spread all over the country.

Poshan Abhiyan (National Nutrition Mission): Launched in 2018, Poshan Abhiyan seeks to eradicate under nutrition, stunting and wasting of children, adolescent and pregnant women. It highlights the co-ordination of multiple Government programs for improving nutrition.

Mid Day Meal Scheme: It is a free school meal program which makes the children go to school on schedule and have better nutrition.

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY): PMMVY gives money to pregnant women and nursing mother’s dietary requirement at the time of pregnancy, ante-natal and postnatal period.

Public-Private Partnerships in Nutrition

While these government driven interventions have made progress in tackling undernutrition, PPP has come to be recognised as an essential element in the approach. They channel the assets, capabilities, and creativity of the private sector to complement Government initiatives. Some notable PPP initiatives in the nutrition sector include:

Akshaya Patra Foundation: Akshaya Patra is an NPO that works collaboratively with the Indian Government to support the MDMS. It runs modern kitchens to serve healthy food to schoolchildren, helping the youngsters get the required nourishments for growth and improvement.

Project RISHTA (Reducing Inequities in Nutrition and Healthcare through Sustainable Action): Project RISHTA, a collective effort of Government, Non Government Organizations and Corporate Partners is focused on addressing Maternal and Child Nutrition issues. The program blends collective action programs with private sector funding to drive the nutrition impacts forward.

Nestlé’s Healthy Kids Program: Through its partnership with different state governments, Nestle India is running the Healthy Kids Program, aiming at imparting nutrition education as well as healthy consumption patterns to children who go to school. This effort spreads awareness on the significance of having a balanced meal.

Do read Enhancing Healthcare in Bhutan article.

Advantages of Public Private Partnerships in Nutrition Programmes:

The involvement of the private sector in nutrition initiatives offers several advantages

• Resource Mobilization: PPPs raise additional financing, including private sector investment, foundational giving, corporate social responsibility funds and thus increase funding to nutrition programs.
• Innovation and Efficiency: They also frequently provide novel approaches, technology, and management practices that can improve nutrition programmes’ efficacy and value for money.
• Scaling Up: Working together allows for the multiplication of actions to combat malnutrition, allowing more people to benefit and having an even greater positive effect.
• Sustainability: PPPs promote the sustainability of nutrition programs by involving diverse actors motivated to ensure positive outcomes.

Challenges and the Way Forward

Despite the potential of PPPs to combat malnutrition, there are still obstacles. The successful implementation of innovations requires improved government-private sector alignment, fair advantage sharing, and robust accountability measures.

Finally, nutritional intervention programs in India such as child malnutrition reduction has a great potential to improve child health of the nation. This holistic approach in conjunction with the government initiatives and public private partnerships is testimony to the seriousness the Government of India exhibits towards tackling this challenging problem. By working in partnership, India can make enormous strides towards decreasing malnutrition levels for its young ones, leading to brighter and healthier lives.