Mumbai, Sep 6 (IANS): Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani on Monday inaugurated a 'Digital Guddi-Gudda Board' at Dharavi as part of the weeklong 'Poshan Maah 2021 (Nutrition Month)' in the Dharavi slum.
The DGGB is located at the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) office in the famous Mumbai slum and will be used for updating, monitoring and giving visibility to birth statistics under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative.
The unique innovation, developed by the Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, displays information and educational material on the scheme to act as a medium for advocacy and awareness.
Irani, along with Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, visited the homes of some of the citizens benefitting under the central Poshan Abhiyaan scheme, distributed fruits and nutrition kits to pregnant women, lactating mothers or children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) as part of the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram.
The central minister duo attended some of the 'Poshan Jagrukta Abhiyan (Nutrition Awareness Campaign) being organized all over Mumbai for people from the minority communities like Muslims, Christian, Buddhist, Parsi, Jain and Sikhs.
The series of programmes are being held at Anjuman-I-Islam Girls School and Mahatma Gandhi Sewa Mandir Hall in Bandra, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Sion, The Dadar Athornan Institute at the Dadar Parsi Colony, etc.
"Since the launch of Poshan Abhiyaan on March 8, 2018, September is observed as the Nutrition Month. In Sep. 2019, there were 3.66 crore activities all over India, in Sep. 2020 a massive 12.84 lakh plantation and nutri-garden drive across Aanganwadis and public spaces was launched," said Irani.
This year 2021 its being observed in a thematic fashion with weekly themes focused on improving holistic nutrition with a series of activities in tandem with states and UTs.
Naqvi said the government is committed to the good health and wellbeing of girls and women through schemes like Poshan Abhiyaan, BBBP, Mission Indradhanush, Swachh Bharat Mission and Ujjwala Yojana, and is especially significant in the 75 years of Indian Independence.
The poor and backward women from the minority communities are being informed of the benefits of nutrition for children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers, to support content, delivery, outreach and outcomes to nurture health, wellness and immunity.
The ICDS is described as the world's largest and unique flagship nutrition programme of the Indian government to early childhood care and development, commitment to the children in the 0-6 years age group, expectant and nursing mothers.