PATNA: The Bihar government is set to launch a special programme addressing malnutrition in children.
The programme, which would be rolled out at every health sub-centre at each village across the state, would focus on removing malnutrition among children, young girls and expectant women.
The programme to be launched under Muskaan Ek Abhiyan would be rolled out with the assistance from Aanganwadi kendras at every village. Apart from addressing children in the drive, the programme would also include better care of pregnant women and adolescent girls.
Measures such as bringing down numbers of early marriages in girls, providing iron folic acid (Â IFA) tablets to young girls, improved diet for pregnant mothers and laying stress on breastfeeding right from the birth of a child would be taken under the programme.
Although, the issue of malnutrition comes directly under the state social welfare department, the department of health has taken this initiative owing to the serious problem the issue of malnutrition poses to the society. The health department would work on the programme in tandem with the department of social welfare.