Women and Child Development Minister Ms. Nirmala Bhuria said that we are committed to achieving the goal of 'Suposhit Madhya Pradesh'. To take rural Madhya Pradesh on the path of progress, we have to bring together development departments, subject experts, institutions and women's groups, only then the dream of prosperous rural Madhya Pradesh can be realized. We are committed to achieving the goal of 'Zero Hunger' or Poshit Madhya Pradesh by the year 2030. Minister Ms. Bhuria said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, the Women and Child Development Department is continuously connecting the community and society to make nutrition a mass movement. In order to connect the community to eliminate malnutrition, Madhya Pradesh is not only trying to teach nutrition education and management to panchayat representatives and villagers, but community based nutrition campaigns and related programs are also being conducted continuously. He said that the department has also set big and far-reaching goals for itself by formulating a nutrition policy in the year 2020, in which every person, especially children, adolescents and women can achieve better nutrition and health status. Minister Ms. Bhuria said that remarkable success is being achieved in the state towards 'Suposhit Madhya Pradesh' by connecting many innovations, community programs and people. Women and Child Development has awakened the spirit in the entire country through World Breastfeeding Week, 100-day special awareness campaign for women empowerment, women helpline 181, helpline 1098 for children, Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao and above all 'Laadli Behna' for the economic upliftment of women. This time in the state, we are starting work with the new concept of 'Poshan Bhi Aur Padhai Bhi', in which nutrition has also been considered important along with education. Under the 'Pradhan Mantri Jan-Man Yojana', we are improving the nutrition level of children in tribal areas by building Anganwadi buildings. Anganwadi buildings are being constructed in the state at a cost of about Rs 500 crore.
Women and Child Development Minister Ms. Bhuria said that due to these innovations of the state, there has been a significant improvement in the nutritional status of children in Madhya Pradesh between the 4 years of national level family survey NFHS-4 to NFHS-5. Now the percentage of underweight children has come down from 43% to 33%, while the percentage of wasted children has come down from 26% to 19%.
Through this scheme, now the nutrition parameters of every village and panchayat are being monitored. Our effort is to ensure the availability and services of better and quality Anganwadi centers in every village, so that nutrition can take the form of a mass campaign. The department is also working in collaboration with all other departments on health, nutrition and its factors like livelihood, clean drinking water, sanitation, women empowerment and social security etc.
