Write about the Poshan Abhiyaan Scheme.

Poshan Abhiyaan:

• The programme seeks to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• Launched in 2018 with specific targets to be achieved by 2022.

It aims to reduce:

• Stunting and wasting by 2% a year (total 6% until 2022) among children.
• Anaemia by 3% a year (total 9%) among children, adolescent girls and pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• The target of the mission is to bring down stunting among children in the age group 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by 2022.

7 Pillers of Poshan Abhiyaan:

1. ICDS-CAS
2. Convergence
3. Behavioural change, IEC Advocacy
4. Training and Capacity building
5. Innovations
6. Incentives
7. Grievance Redressal

 POSHAN 2.0:

• It is an umbrella scheme covering the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) (Anganwadi Services, Poshan Abhiyan, Scheme For Adolescent Girls, National Creche Scheme).
• It was announced in Union Budget 2021-22 by merging supplementary nutrition programmes and the POSHAN Abhiyaan.
• It was launched to strengthen nutritional content, delivery, outreach and outcome, with renewed focus on developing practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity to disease and malnutrition in the country.