(The Gist of Kurukshetra) ENSURING CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND NUTRITION [SEPTEMBER-2019]

(The Gist of Kurukshetra) ENSURING CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND NUTRITION

[SEPTEMBER-2019]

ENSURING CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Introduction

India is home to the largest child population in the world. Child health and nutritional status is one of the important indicators of a country's social and economic development. As part of the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the UN, India has committed to reduce death rate of under-five years children by 25 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030. India's own National Health Profile has set an aim of 23 by 2025.
Constitution of India guarantees fundamental rights to children and empowers states to make special provision for children. The National Policy for Children (2013) recognize that a long term, sustainable, multi-sectoral, integrated and inclusive approach is vital for healthy growth and development of children.
The policy further recognizes that survival, health, nutrition, education, protection and participation is the right of every child of this country. To ensure health, nutrition and protection of the children, various programmes are implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
Child Health Programme under National Health Mission
Reducing child deaths is one of the most important goals of National Health Mission (NHM). Child health programmes implemented under the National Health Mission (NHM) comprehensively integrates interventions recognizing that reproductive, maternal and child health cannot be addressed in isolation as these are closely linked to the health status of the population in various stages of life cycle.
The health of an adolescent girl impacts pregnancy while the health of a pregnant woman impacts the health of the newborn and the child. As such, interventions may be required at various stages of life cycle, which are mutually linked.