World Food Programme - India the food aid arm of the United Nations
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Food For Growth

Eating the right amount of food by itself does not ensure proper nutrition--getting the right vitamins and minerals at the right time is equally important. Without essential micronutrients, or organic compounds that the human body needs in tiny amounts like iron, Vitamin A and iodine, the body may suffer lasting damage to physical growth, health and mental development.

Iron deficiency increases maternal morbidity and mortality. Without iron, a pregnant mother may become anemic and lose her child prematurely.

Anemia in a child may permanently lower cognitive performance.

Lack of Vitamin A can lead to blindness, and has been associated with impairing the immune system.

In India, nearly nine out of ten pregnant women aged between 15 and 49 suffer from anemia; anemia in pregnant women causes 20 percent of infant mortality. And more than half of children under five are moderately or severely malnourished, or suffer from stunting.

To counter effects of malnutrition, WFP supplies micronutrient-fortified food to pregnant and lactating women, and children under the age of six--all of whom are at critical growth stages in their lives. The fortified food meets 80 percent of the daily requirements of micronutrients for a child.

The fortified food is distributed via the Government’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centers, which since 1975 have provided social services to the poor. To better accommodate the work schedules of beneficiaries, WFP also promotes the use of "Take-Home Rations" for mothers and their children under three.

In addition to supplying fortified food, in 1998 WFP initiated a pilot project in Jaisalmer, Sawai Madhopur, Karoli and Barmer districts in the state of Rajasthan, to combat micronutrient deficiency. Under the project, WFP distributed iron folic acid and Vitamin A tablets, and introduced deworming treatment to 230,000 pregnant and nursing women and children under six. The goal was to reduce anemia in pregnant women by 20 percent and in children by 30 percent.

WFP’s fortified food, however, does not merely provide a supplement to the diets of women and children at important growth stages in their lives. It also acts as an incentive for mothers and children to benefit from the ICDS services.

Designed to decrease malnutrition, increase a mother’s capability to meet the needs of her children, and give a psychological, physical and social development foundation for children, ICDS provides a package of services to meet maternal and child health care needs otherwise inaccessible to the poor. These include supplementary nutrition, health check-ups (immunizations, growth monitoring, etc.), nutrition and health education, referral services and non-formal education for pre-school children.

By providing food, WFP helps increase attendance at ICDS centers, which, in turn, serves to reach out to women and children. WFP also supports further training for ICDS center workers, like pre-school education and community mobilization techniques, and the use of Health Days, or one day per month where mothers can have their children weighed, immunized and seek referrals.

Since 1976, WFP has contributed more then $US 345 million in food and related costs to ICDS. Today, WFP assistance covers approximately 20 percent of supplementary nutrition needs for ICDS blocks in six states.

World Food Programme

2, Poorvi Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi – 110057, India

Tel:91-11-26150000, Fax:91-11-26150019

Contact:

wfp.newdelhi@wfp.org