Suposhan Abhiyan against malnutrition has yielded encouraging results. In various categories, malnutrition has come down from 56 percent to 16 percent since year 2005-06. These results have been brought through activities under Atal Bihari Vajpayee Child Health and Nutrition Mission. Giving this information, Women and Child Development Minister Maya Singh informed that the mission has launched December 10, 2010 on birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Singh informed that the State Government conducted Suposhan Abhiyan in 7 phases during last 5 years to meet its target. During the period, 15,357 camps were organised at which 1.68 lakh extremely underweight children were benefited. Due to these camps, rate of malnutrition witnessed heavy decline. Number of extremely underweight children was 60 percent in the survey of year 2005-06, which declined to 36.1 per cent in year 2013-14. It has declined by 39.8 per cent.
Malnutrition in extremely underweight children was 27.3 per cent, which has come down to 12 percent. It has registered 56 per cent decline. low weight in proportion to height has declined from 35 per cent to 17.5, serious malnutrition from 12.6 per cent to 5.4 per cent, malnutrition as per less height in ratio of age has come down from 50 percent to 41.6 per cent and malnutrition among extremely low height children has declined from 26.3 per cent to 18.5 per cent.
The Minister informed that apart from Suposhan Abhiyan, a pilot project has been launched in 5 districts of the State including Satna, Barwani, Alirajpur, Dindori and Umaria have maximum number of extremely underweight children under which one-time full meal is provided to pregnant and lactating mothers for improvement in nourishment level.
Apart from meal, pregnant and lactating mothers are also given one seasonal fruit, laddu and Halwa everyday. Mobile Anganwadis have started in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Ujjain. Anganwadis have been provided 11 thousand electronic weighing machines and 3,000 salter weighing machines to constantly monitor underweight children.