On a day dedicated to good governance and service, the Haryana Health Department launched a mission-mode drive to identify, monitor, and treat malnourished children in the aspirational districts of Nuh and Palwal.
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The Mission: The “Malnutrition-Free District” initiative aims to screen every child under the age of five in these two districts over the next 30 days. The focus is specifically on identifying cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM).
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Operational Strategy:
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Door-to-Door Screening: Teams of ASHA workers, ANMs, and Anganwadi workers have been deployed to conduct door-to-door visits, measuring mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and weight-for-height ratios.
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Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs): Children identified as SAM will be immediately referred to specialized NRCs in Nuh and Palwal for intensive medical and nutritional care.
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Fortified Diet Kits: For children in the MAM category, the department is distributing specialized fortified food kits and micronutrient supplements to parents, along with counseling on diverse diets.
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Digitized Tracking: In a move toward better governance, the data for every screened child is being uploaded in real-time to the “Poshan Tracker” app. This will allow state-level health officials to monitor the recovery of malnourished children on a weekly basis.
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Focus on Nuh and Palwal: These districts have historically shown higher stunting and wasting rates compared to the state average. By launching this drive on Good Governance Day, the government intends to provide targeted intervention to the most vulnerable sections of the population.
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Official Quote: “Our goal is to ensure that no child in Haryana is left behind due to a lack of nutrition. We are combining medical intervention with community education to make this a sustainable success,” said a senior medical officer in Nuh.
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Community Involvement: Local panchayats and religious leaders are being engaged to encourage families to participate in the screening camps and to break the stigma around malnutrition treatments.
