In 2021, the Women and Child Development Ministry estimated that more than 32 lakh children in India were malnourished. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) IV, 35.7% of children in the country are underweight. Globally, around 35% of deaths among children below the age of five are linked to malnutrition. These alarming statistics highlight the urgent need for strong nutritional programmes that support children from the prenatal stage through their early years.

WHAT IS THE ANGANWADI PROGRAMME?

Anganwadis are government-funded centres in India dedicated to child and maternal care. They were established under the Government’s flagship Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to improve the nutritional status of pregnant women, nursing mothers and children aged 0–6 years.

The ICDS Scheme aims to:

• Improve the nutritional and health status of children aged 0–6 years

• Lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development

• Reduce mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropout rates

• Ensure effective coordination among various departments to promote child development

• Enhance mothers’ ability to care for the nutritional and health needs of their children through proper guidance and education

To meet these objectives, Anganwadi centres offer a range of essential services:

• Supplementary nutrition

• Pre-school non-formal education

• Nutrition and health education

• Immunisation

• Health check-up

• Referral services

Currently, Recall Social Foundation serves nutritious meals to 55,960 children across 2,405 Anganwadi centres in 4 locations spanning 3 states in India.