Desi ghee to be provided to malnourished children and pregnant women in UP

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has directed that officials ensure that desi ghee is added to the meals provided to children at anganwadi centres as the state looks to improve the health and nutrition of children below six years of age and pregnant women.

Earlier the CM had similarly also included desi ghee and milk powder to be distributed among those is distress in drought hit Bundelkhand region. His wife Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav is the driving force behind the State Nutrition Mission which is working to tackle the menace of malnutrition among children and women.

Malnutrition leads to severe impact on physical, mental and cognitive development of children which also passes on from one generation to another.
Only 23.8% of pregnant women, 22.8% of children aged 6-35 months and 22.5% of children aged 36-71 months in UP avail of supplementary food at Anganwadi centres, according to Rapid Survey of Children RSOC 2013-14.

The government is working to improve the figures and recently launched the Husala Poshan Yojana which covers all districts of the state. Under this malnourished children from six months of age to six years and pregnant women would be identified and provided hot cooked meal six days a week. Also one fruit and 20 gram ghee with food would be provided to the beneficiaries.

Pregnant women are given iron tablets and three days a week, yoghurt is also provided to beneficiaries.

Officials said that 10 lakh pregnant women and 14 lakh children have been brought under the fold of this sceme. The scheme is being run through 1.80 lakh anganwadi centres. Officals have been asked to make teh Gram Pradhan and Anganwadi worker share reponsibility to identify malnourished children and women and provide them nutritious hot cooked meals.