The Poshan Abhiyan, also known as the National Nutrition Mission or Poshan Project, is a flagship initiative of the Government of India aimed at addressing malnutrition and promoting holistic development, especially among children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. Launched in March 2018, the project operates under the Ministry of Women and Child Development with a vision to ensure a malnutrition-free India by 2022. At its core, the Poshan Abhiyan seeks to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anemia, and low birth weight among children. It adopts a multi-sectoral approach, integrating various departments such as Health, Education, Rural Development, and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) to tackle malnutrition comprehensively. The initiative emphasizes the convergence of services and schemes to maximize impact and reach. One of the key strategies of the Poshan Abhiyan is behavior change communication, which involves raising awareness and promoting positive nutrition practices at the community level. This includes educating caregivers about the importance of breastfeeding, complementary feeding, proper nutrition during pregnancy, and the utilization of available government schemes such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
Another crucial aspect of the Poshan Abhiyan is the use of technology for real-time monitoring and tracking of nutrition-related interventions.