The state government of Odisha on Tuesday announced an increase in the cost of supplementary nutrition provided to severely underweight children aged between six months and six years, as well as the breakfast provided to preschoolers at Anganwadi centres. This move aims to strengthen early childhood nutrition across the state.
Enhanced nutrition for severely underweight children
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida announced that the daily allocation for supplementary nutrition for severely underweight children has been increased from Rs 8 to Rs 12 per child. In addition, an extra Rs 6 will be provided under the Chief Minister’s Sampoorna Pushti Yojana. Altogether, severely underweight children will now receive cooked food and dry ration worth Rs 18 every day.
Close to 35,000 severely underweight children across Odisha will benefit from this initiative. The government will bear an additional expenditure of Rs 10.74 crore towards this effort, Parida stated while addressing an event. “This is a major intervention to support the overall growth and development of children who require enhanced nutritional care,” she added.
Increased breakfast allocation for preschoolers
Apart from this, the cost of breakfast provided to children aged three to six attending pre-school activities at Anganwadi centres has also been increased from Rs 1.24 to Rs 3.56 per child. In doing so, the state government will bear an annual expenditure of Rs 126.83 crore from its own budget.
“We are hopeful that this increased allocation will help in provision of better quality food with higher calorie and protein intake. It will also improve dietary diversity leading to better health and weight gain among children,” said Parida, who also holds the women and child development portfolio.
Digital book on first 1,000 days of life
On the occasion, Parida released a digital book titled ‘Importance of First 1,000 Days of Life’, which aims at raising awareness on nutrition and other needs of children in this crucial phase. “The first 1,000 days of life, from conception until a child’s second birthday, constitute the most critical period for a child’s overall growth and development. Nearly 85% of brain growth takes place before the child reaches two years,” she said.
The department plans to disseminate the digital book among all Anganwadi workers. Officials stated that awareness on the subject will be promoted through Anganwadi knowledge centres, where workers will be sensitised about the first 1,000 days of a child. Anganwadi workers will use the digital book during home visits to raise awareness among beneficiaries. Additionally, efforts are being made to reach out to mothers through social media platforms on maternal and child nutrition during this crucial phase.
