The Ministry of Women and Child Development is organising Poshan Pakhwada 2024 from today to the 23rd of March. During the Pakhwada, mass sensitisation and community activities will be held around the themes including Poshan Bhi Padhai Bhi, dietary practices focused on sensitisation around nutrition and health of pregnant women. The Ministry in a statement said that in addition to these themes, States and partner Ministries and Departments can also organise additional sensitisation activities around other important areas. They include improving nutrition through Mission LiFE and adopting Sustainable Food Systems by promoting Millet and Poshan Vatikas at Anganwadi Centres. Besides, Diarrhea management; Tests, Treat, Talk Anemia; and Swasth Balak Spardha can also be organised to promote regular growth measurement of
enrolled children at Anganwadi Centres.
In the last Poshan Pakhwada held in March to April 2023, more than four crore sensitisation activities were reported which focused on themes of promotion and popularization of Millets for nutritional wellbeing, celebration of Swasth Balak Spardha, and popularizing Saksham Anganwadis. The Ministry added that one of the key objectives of Saksham Anganwadi and Mission Poshan 2.0 is to achieve nutrition-linked behavioural change at individual and community levels through Jan Bhagidari.
To inculcate healthy eating habits and mass sensitisation, Jan Andolans are being celebrated annually in the form of Poshan Pakhwada and Poshan Maah since the launch of POSHAN Abhiyaan in 2018.