Women and Adolescent Girls’ Nutrition
A woman’s nutrition directly determines the nutrition of her child. Thus, we work to ensure good nutrition among women, mothers, and adolescent girls across India.
The Challenge
Poor nutrition among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) has long-lasting consequences. Other than impacting the woman’s health, it also increases her risk of giving birth to an undernourished child, thereby perpetuating the cycle of malnutrition across generations.
The risk of bearing an undernourished child increases if the mother is an adolescent. And the situation worsens if the time interval between two pregnancies is short and the woman has many children.
UNICEF also supports the Government of India in preventing and reducing anaemia among adolescent girls and women in India.
What does poor nutrition of mothers mean for an infant?
Women have distinct nutritional requirements throughout their life and during pregnancy and motherhood. Before pregnancy, women need nutritious and safe diets to have a healthy body. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, a woman’s energy and nutrient needs increase. Meeting them is critical for women’s health and that of their child – in the womb and throughout early childhood.
But in many parts of the world, the nutritional status of women remains poor. Far too many women – especially adolescents and those who are nutritionally at-risk – are not receiving the nutrition services they need to be healthy and give their babies the best chance to survive, grow and develop.
One of the main reasons for the poor nutrition and health outcomes among children in India is is the poor nutrition status of mothers before and during pregnancy. Research suggests that nearly 50 per cent of growth
failure by the age of two is due to poor maternal nutrition between conception and childbirth. It is therefore crucial to address maternal malnutrition in order to effectively tackle malnutrition among children.
The solution: What is UNICEF’s response to maternal nutrition in India?
UNICEF’s nutrition programme in India has a special focus on improving nutritional outcomes for pregnant women. Here, and in support of the Government of India, we work around five essential nutrition interventions:
- Improved quantity and nutrient-rich food consumed in households, especially by women, focusing on local healthy diets, and creating awareness about health and nutrition.
- Prevention of micronutrient deficiencies and anaemia among women. This is done through supporting programmes for the provision of Iron and Folic Acid supplements, deworming, Vitamin A and calcium supplements, universal access to iodised salt, malaria prevention and treatment in malaria-endemic areas, and access to knowledge on healthy dietary practices during and after pregnancy.
- Improved and more equitable access to essential nutrition and health services for women, particularly during pregnancy. Here, we emphasise on monitoring the weight gain of an expectant mother, along with screening and special care for mothers at-risk.
- Improved access to safe water and sanitation by working closely with the UNICEF Water, Sanitation and Hygiene section.
Reducing pregnancies at an early age, multiple pregnancies, and increasing the time interval between conception. Creating awareness on the issue, working with law enforcement agencies and supporting girls to complete their secondary education are helping achieve this objective. We also encourage family planning and promote skill development and economic empowerment as part of maternity entitlement.
The challenge: Preventing and reducing anaemia among adolescents, especially girls in India
India is home to around 253 million adolescents - 120 million adolescent girls and 133 million adolescent boys. This is about 20 per cent of the world’s adolescent population, aged between 10 to 19 years.. Further, an enormous number of these adolescents suffer from anaemia - a condition that limits their capacity to learn, participate and lead productive lives as adults. However, this large number of adolescents are also a pool of limitless potential. This is because adolescence provides an opportunity to correct nutritional deficiencies that may have occurred in early life and to catch-up on growth, and to establish good dietary behaviours.
The solution: What does UNICEF do to address the issue of anaemia?
As a technical partner to the Government of India, we support their efforts in preventing and reducing anaemia.
India has the world's largest universal adolescent anaemia control programme, targeting 116 million adolescent girls and boys. The programme plays a pivotal role in protecting youthfrom the debilitating effects of anaemia, breaking the country’s inter-generational malnutrition cycle and safeguarding future generations' health and potential. Good nutrition - including adequate iron intake - helps adolescents grow, develop and realise their full potential.
Keeping these in mind, UNICEF supports the implementation of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy and operational guidelines, which provide preventive and curative mechanisms through a 6 x 6 x 6 strategy. This includes reaching six target beneficiary groups, via six interventions and six institutional mechanisms for stakeholders to adopt and implement. In action, this translates into strategic on-ground activities such as anaemia testing and treatment camps, educational workshops and activities, and counsel
UNICEF also supports new initiatives outlined in the AMB strategy, such as the use of advanced methods of measuring haemoglobin levels using digital haemoglobinometers, and management of anaemia among in-school adolescents and pregnant women.
