Nutrition in general, and child nutrition in particular, is a multidimensional challenge. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, a nationwide initiative that recently completed 50 years, has responded to the need for strong nutritional, educational and care support for children under six years of age. The scheme has been operationalised through Anganwadis (creches) that are dotted across the country, with Anganwadi workers providing these important services as entitlements to local households. 

Good nutrition and education from early life are linked with lifelong benefits for health and socioeconomic outcomes, making this intervention critical to development. However, the progress on child nutrition indicators has been slow, with recovery being sluggish post COVID-19 setback. 

How should we then work together and intersectorally to improve nutritional status among children across diverse contexts? How should local food diversity influence the nutritional support being provided for children? What are the recent pilot projects in India from which we can learn about newer ways to improve child nutrition? 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the theme of this year’s World Health Day as Together for Health. Stand with Science. We take this opportunity to learn more about the ICDS experience and other related nutritional support initiatives for children from those engaging with policy, practice, and evidence-building in a collaborative way— how to work together for child nutrition, and how to use science to address this challenge in an effective way.

About the panellists

We have Uma Mahadevan (Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka) and Ramani Atkuri (Community Health Physician) who will share their thoughts based on their rich experience and long commitment to improve child nutrition-status through public health programmes and policies. 

Join us

Given the need and ongoing efforts to improve child nutrition status across the country by various public health actors, we are sure that your presence and participation as attendees will add to the richness to our collective learning.