SHILLONG, Jan 20: In order to better child health and development, Meghalaya has revamped its “1000 Day Program,” for every child focusing on the critical period from conception to a child’s second birthday. The initiative, designed to provide comprehensive healthcare, nutrition, and developmental support, now places greater emphasis on children’s needs rather than primarily focusing on maternal health.
This shift is part of the government’s effort to address the foundational years of life, recognised globally as crucial for ensuring long-term physical and cognitive growth. The program will leverage existing infrastructure, such as anganwadi centres, and build on community-based approaches to deliver services effectively.
The state government is also incentivising this programme. This was informed by Health Minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh on Monday.
The key components of the 1000-Day Program include antenatal care like regular checkups, nutritional counseling, folic acid supplementation, and screening for potential health risks during pregnancy, infant and young child feeding practices, promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by complementary feeding with diverse and nutritious foods. Additionally, immunisation, and nutrition interventions will battle malnutrition through supplementary feeding programs, especially for children at risk of stunting and being underweight.
Monitoring children’s developmental milestones and providing early intervention services where necessary, educating parents and caregivers about nutrition, hygiene, and the significance of early childhood development, capacity building for healthcare workers, training anganwadi and ASHA workers to deliver early childhood development interventions effectively, maternal mental health support by offering counseling and mental health services to address postpartum depression and maternal well-being are some of the other key components.
While maternal health remains an integral part of the program, the new structure incentivices child-centered interventions. By focusing on infant nutrition, timely immunisation, and developmental screenings, the initiative aims to create a robust support system for young children, fostering their physical and cognitive development.
