Kids under three to come under childhood care strategy

The Centre is all set to restructure Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) to give special focus on children under three years, and pregnant and lactating mothers.

The ICDS will soon have a Revised Framework for Implementation and will be put in a ‘mission mode’.

According to Human Development Report 2011, India is far behind in achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) set by the United Nations for Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) of 42 per 1,000 live births by 2015. In 2009, the U5MR of India was 64 per 1,000 live births compared to 31 in China.

“The National Advisory Council (NAC) has made a number of recommendations which call for new strategies and reforms that address institutional, programmatic and managerial gaps in the delivery of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme,” Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath informed Parliament on Friday.

“While formulating the proposal on strengthening and restructuring of ICDS, the recommendations of NAC have been given due consideration,” Tirath said. 

“The recommendations relating to child nutrition include balanced and nutritious diet including proper food and freshly cooked meals, early childhood care and development, growth monitoring, care of severely malnourished children, education and counselling, convergence through Village-level Fixed Health and Nutrition Days (VFHND), convergence through community-managed Health, Nutrition and Day-Care Centres (HNDCCs) etc,” she informed.

The NAC gave its recommendation in June 2011 and suggested an urgent need of reform and strengthening of delivery of ICDS. It recommended a wide range of reforms.