**Executive Summary**
This document is the response to Unstarred Question No. 2304 in Lok Sabha, to be answered on February 13th, 2026, concerning health and nutrition-related schemes implemented in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, particularly in tribal-dominated districts. The response from the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare outlines various initiatives under the National Health Mission (NHM) and other programs aimed at improving health and nutrition outcomes. There are no specific deadlines or action items listed in the document.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **National Health Mission (NHM) Support:**
* NHM supports improvements in health infrastructure and the availability of human resources.
* It aims to enhance accessibility to quality healthcare across the country, including tribal-dominated districts in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
* **Initiatives Under NHM:**
* Operationalisation of Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM).
* Free Drugs Service Initiative.
* Free Diagnostic Service Initiative.
* National Ambulance Services.
* Mobile Medical Units.
* ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists).
* 24 x 7 Services and First Referral Facilities.
* Prime Minister's National Dialysis Programme.
* Activities under Reproductive & Child Health.
* Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy.
* TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
* Universal Immunization programme.
* **Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) Strategy:**
* Implemented under NHM to increase awareness and address undernutrition.
* Includes interventions addressing calorie deficiency and protein malnutrition.
* **Specific Initiatives Under RMNCAH+N:**
* Facility Based New-born Care: Establishing Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs), and New-born Stabilization Units (NBSUs).
* Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC): Promotes skin-to-skin contact for low birth weight/pre-term babies.
* Mothers' Absolute Affection (MAA): Promotes early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding.
* Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs): Established for children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).
* Lactation Management Centres: Ensure availability of Mother's Own Milk or safe, pasteurized Donor Human Milk.
* Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB): Reduces anemia prevalence among children, adolescents, and women.
* National Deworming Day (NDD)
* Vitamin A supplementation Programme
* Home Based New-born Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care of Young Children (HBYC) programme
* Monthly Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Day (VHSND)
* **Mission Poshan 2.0:**
* Focuses on Maternal Nutrition, Infant and Young Child Feeding Norms.
* Treats Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)/ Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM).
* Employs AYUSH practices to reduce prevalence of wasting, stunting, and anaemia.
* Provides supplementary nutrition at Anganwadi centres based on diet diversity.
* **Data Collection and Coordination:**
* National Family Health Survey (NFHS) provides details on changes in anaemia, malnutrition, and maternal health.
* Coordination exists between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for tribal health programs.
* The Ministry of Health provides technical and financial support to States/UTs.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Tribal Population in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh**
* **Impact:** Improved access to healthcare and nutrition programs, aiming to reduce malnutrition, anemia, and improve maternal and child health outcomes.
* **Action Required:** Participate in and benefit from the various health and nutrition schemes implemented by the government.
**Stakeholder: State Governments (West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh)**
* **Impact:** Receive technical and financial support from the central government (Ministry of Health) to strengthen the public healthcare system in rural areas and implement health programs.
* **Action Required:** Develop and submit Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) to the central government to access funds and support for health initiatives.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing and overseeing the various health and nutrition programs, ensuring coordination with state governments and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
* **Action Required:** Provide technical and financial support to state governments and monitor the progress of health and nutrition programs.
**Stakeholder: Anganwadi Workers**
* **Impact:** Central to the implementation of Mission Poshan 2.0, particularly in the provision of supplementary nutrition.
* **Action Required:** Distribute supplementary nutrition to children, pregnant women, lactating mothers, and adolescent girls according to nutritional norms and dietary diversity principles.
Key Entities Referenced
National Health Mission (NHM): A scheme supporting health infrastructure improvement and healthcare access across the country, including tribal areas.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The primary ministry responsible for health and family welfare programs in India, including those related to nutrition and tribal health.
Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB): Strategy implemented to reduce the prevalence of anemia among various beneficiary groups.
Mission Poshan 2.0: A government mission focusing on maternal nutrition, infant and young child feeding norms and the treatment of malnutrition.
West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh: States where health and nutrition schemes are implemented, especially in tribal-dominated districts.
GOVERNMENT OFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2304
TOBE ANSWERED ON 13thFEBRUARY,2026
HEALTHANDNUTRITIONRELATEDSCHEMES
2304. DR. JAYANTAKUMAR ROY:
SHRITAPIRGAO:
SHRISAUMITRAKHAN:
SHRIBUNTYVIVEK SAHU:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) the details of the major programmes and schemes related to health and nutrition
implemented in West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, especially in tribal-dominated districts
during the last three years, year-wise and district-wise especially in Chhindwara Lok Sabha
constituencyandRarh Bengal regionof West Bengal;
(b) whether the recent Government data shows any improvement or change in the prevalence
of anaemia, malnutrition and maternal health indicators among the tribal population of the
country;
(c) if so, the details of such changes, State/UT-wise and district-wise especially in Rarh
Bengal regionof West Bengal; and
(d) the planned corrective actions proposed or being implemented for tribal-dominated
districts with higher malnutrition under targeted interventions, nutritional rehabilitation,
healthinfrastructure strengthening andinter-departmental coordinationinthisregard?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) to (d): The National Health Mission (NHM) provides support for improvement in health
infrastructure, availability of adequate human resources in health facilities, to improve
availability and accessibility to quality healthcare across the country including all tribal-
dominateddistricts inWest Bengal andMadhya Pradesh.
Various initiatives carried out under NHM by the Government of India in the country
including Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency of Madhya Pradesh and Rarh Bengal region
of West Bengal are operationalisation of Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM), Free Drugs
Service Initiative, Free Diagnostic Service Initiative, National Ambulance Services, MobileMedical Units, ASHAs, 24 x 7 Services and First Referral Facilities, Prime Minister's
National Dialysis Programme, various activities under Reproductive & Child Health,
Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy, TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and Universal
Immunizationprogramme.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing Reproductive, Maternal,
Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy in a life cycle
approach under NHM, which includes interventions to increase awareness and address
undernutrition including calorie deficiency and protein malnutrition across the country,
includingall tribal-dominated districts inWest Bengal andMadhya Pradesh asplacedbelow:
Facility Based New-born Care: Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs)/ Special
Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) are established at Medical College and District Hospital,
New-born Stabilization Units (NBSUs) are established at First Referral Units
(FRUs)/Community HealthCentres (CHCs)for care of sick andsmall babies.
Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is implemented at facility and community level for
low birth weight/ pre-term babies. It includes early and prolonged skin-to-skin contact
with the motheror family memberandexclusive andfrequent breastfeeding.
Mothers’AbsoluteAffection(MAA): Earlyinitiationandexclusive breastfeedingfor
first six months and appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices are
promotedunderMothers’ Absolute Affection (MAA).
Nutrition Rehabilitation Centres (NRCs) are established at public health facilities
where children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and medical complications are
admittedfor treatment.
Lactation Management Centres are established to ensure availability of Mother’s
Own Milk or safe, pasteurized Donor Human Milk for feeding of sick, preterm, lowbirth
weight babies admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Special Newborn Care
Units.
Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) is implemented to reduce the prevalence of anemia
among six beneficiary groups - Children (6-59 months), Children (5-9 years),
Adolescents (10-19 years), Women of reproductive age (15-49 years), pregnant women
andlactatingmothers ina lifecycleapproach.
National Deworming Day (NDD)
Vitamin AsupplementationProgramme
Home Based New-born Care (HBNC) and Home-Based Care of Young
Children(HBYC) programme
Monthly Village Health,Sanitation andNutrition Day (VHSND)
Under Mission Poshan 2.0, the Government focuses on Maternal Nutrition, Infant and Young
Child Feeding Norms, treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)/ Moderate Acute
Malnutrition (MAM)andwellnessthrough AYUSHpracticestoreduce prevalenceofwasting,
stunting, anaemia and being underweight. Supplementary Nutrition is provided to children
age 6 months to 6 years, pregnant women, lactating mothers and adolescent girls at
Anganwadi centres as per nutrition norms, based on principles of diet diversity that provides
quality protein,healthy fatsandmicronutrients.There are various mechanisms and survey agencies which generate data on tribal healthcare
on a periodic basis. National Family Health Survey (NFHS) provides details on major
changes in anaemia, malnutrition and maternal health indicators among all the high-burden
tribal districts across the country. Census of India provides population and household details
including Tribal areas. National Sample Surveyprovideshousehold surveys onvarioussocio-
economic subjects. The State-wise list of key indicators NFHS-5 may be extracted from
belowmentionedlink:
http://rchiips.org/nfhs/districtfactsheet_NFHS-5.shtml
Coordination mechanisms exist between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as well as with State Health Departments, for
planning, funding and implementation of tribal health programmes to address malnutrition.
Under NHM, this Ministry provides technical and financial support to the States/UTs, to
strengthen the public healthcare system in rural areas, based on the proposals received in the
form of Programme Implementation Plans(PIPs). Government of India providesapproval for
the proposals received in the form of Record of Proceedings (RoPs) asper norms& available
resources.
*****