Closing the Chasm

The low-cost ‘Potth Laika Pehel’ in Rajnandgaon District is emboldening communities by imparting nutrition knowledge and triggering behavioural change alongside ensuring proper monitoring

- ANIL SWARUP

Sometimes, solutions lie in the simplest of things. Malnutrition is one such area where the solution, though not easy, may be more simple than we previously thought. This is illustrated by the experience in District Rajnandgaon in bridging the malnutrition gap. Healthy Child Mission—‘Potth Laika Pehel” in local Chhattisgarhi language—is a nutrition counselling, behaviour change and monitoring mission which aims to bring targeted children and Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) out of malnutrition by providing lifelong nutrition skills to the community. It is a tripartite mission involving District Administration of Rajnandgaon, UNICEF as knowledge partner, and Abis Exports group as CSR partner. Under this, 241 most malnourished AWGs with the most number of SAM (Severely Acute Malnutrition) and MAM (Moderately Acute Malnutrition) children were targeted.

The Malnutrition Gap and the Dire Need for Nutrition Counselling

> Higher incomes but no commensurate decline in malnutrition: This is a huge dichotomy in India. In Chhattisgarh, the last decade has seen per annum per capita income rise from Rs 78,001 in 2014-15 to as high as Rs 1,33,898 in 2022-23 (58 per cent), while malnutrition levels alarmingly remain nearly the same. A comparison of NFHS-4 and NFHS-5 would reveal almost the same values over the years. Similarly, literacy rates have soared to 78 per cent with no commensurate decline in malnutrition.

» Need for knowledge on macro and micro-nutrients: Practice of overeating carbohydrates and under-eating protein and micro-nutrients prevails due to lack of knowledge about which foods are rich in which nutrients.

> Need to dispel many myths around nutrition: Many myths perpetuate malnutrition. For example, giving babies under 6 months honey or water, that children do not need to eat very often, etc.