**Executive Summary**
This document provides the answer to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 115, to be answered on February 6, 2026, regarding the "Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar" campaign and the Poshan Maah program. It outlines the activities undertaken, the assessment of impact, and measures to sustain community participation. The document references activities conducted between September 17, 2025, and October 16, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan (SNSPA) Campaign:**
* Conducted from September 17, 2025, to October 2, 2025, by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
* Aimed to strengthen healthcare services for women and children, focusing on access, quality care, and awareness.
* Activities included 19.7 lakh countrywide health camps, providing medical and health services for women, promoting healthy lifestyles, screenings for various diseases, maternal and child health services, raising awareness about nutrition, menstrual hygiene, and mental health, and distribution of digital cards and special registration.
* **8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah:**
* Launched alongside the SNSPA campaign on September 17, 2025, and celebrated until October 16, 2025, at Anganwadi Centres.
* Themes included addressing obesity, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Reinforcing Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Practices, Men-streaming, Vocal for Local, and Convergent Actions and Digitization.
* Activities monitored through Jan Andolan Dashboard with 14.33 crore activities reported.
* **Impact Assessment:**
* The World Bank conducted a survey in 2021 on Poshan Abhiyaan in 11 priority states, revealing improved nutrition behaviors due to the program.
* NITI Aayog conducted a third-party evaluation and impact assessment of Poshan Abhiyaan in 2020 and 2025, finding its relevance satisfactory for tackling malnutrition.
* **Sustaining Community Participation:**
* The government implemented measures under the National Health Mission (NHM) to sustain community participation and behavior change.
* 1.82 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) have extended services to underserved districts.
* Activities include Ayushman Melas, Community Based Events (CBEs) at Anganwadi Centres, Information Education and Communication (IEC) initiatives, and annual Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada celebrations.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD)**
* **Impact:** Agencies responsible for planning, executing, monitoring and reporting.
* **Action Required:** Continue implementing the programs and collect and analyse data to demonstrate effectiveness.
**Stakeholder: Women and Children across India, particularly in rural and aspirational regions.**
* **Impact:** Improved access to healthcare, nutrition awareness, and potentially better health outcomes.
* **Action Required:** Participate in available health programs and utilize services at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and Anganwadi Centres.
**Stakeholder: Healthcare Providers**
* **Impact:** Increased workload and a need to provide a broader range of services, including screenings and counseling.
* **Action Required:** Provide services outlined by the campaigns.
**Stakeholder: Communities**
* **Impact:** Increased awareness of health and nutrition, and greater community engagement in health initiatives.
* **Action Required:** Participate in community based health initiatives such as voluntary blood drives, health talks and wellness sessions.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW): The ministry responsible for implementing health programs and policies, including those related to nutrition and women's health.
Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD): The ministry involved in the Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan and Rashtriya Poshan Maah and responsible for women and child development programs including Anganwadi centres.
Rashtriya Poshan Maah: A nutrition awareness campaign conducted annually with activities monitored via the Jan Andolan Dashboard.
Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan (SNSPA): A campaign conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Child Development aimed at strengthening healthcare services for women and children.
Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM): Health and wellness centers enabling a broader package of services closer to the community.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 115
TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6THFEBRUARY, 2026
SWASTH NARI, SASHAKT PARIVAR
*115. SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:
Will the MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to
state:
(a) the details of the key themes and activities undertaken, with particular reference to
the theme Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar, in the wake of the recently concluded 8th
Rashtriya Poshan Maah;
(b) whether the Government has put any mechanism in place to assess the impact of
Poshan Maah on nutrition awareness and nutritional outcomes among women and
children and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the details of the measures being taken by the Government to sustain community
participation and behavioural changes achieved during the campaign throughout the
year particularly in rural and aspirational regions including Jhalawar-Baran
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA)
(a) to (c) AStatement is laid on the Table of the House.STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLYTO LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 115* FOR 6TH FEBRUARY, 2026
(a) The “Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan (SNSPA)” campaign was conducted
between the period of 17th September 2025 to 2nd October 2025 by the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Women and Child Development
(MoWCD). It aimed at strengthening healthcare services for women and children across
India, with a focus on improving access, quality care, and awareness through Jan
Bhagidaari.
The following activities have been conducted during the campaign:
19.7 lakh countrywide dedicated health camps with a footfall of more than 11
crores on all healthcare platforms to provide screenings and specialist and
telemedicine services, including counselling activities.
Provision of medical and health services for women including check-up for
ENT, Eye, Dental check-up.
Promoting healthy lifestyles such as reducing obesity, local and regional food,
distribution of Take Home Ration (THR).
Focusing on women's health, including screenings for oral, breast and cervical
cancer, anaemia, hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis and sickle cell diseases.
Providing maternal and child health services, such as antenatal care (ANC)
checkups and immunization and Early Childhood Care and Infant and Young
Child Feeding (IYCF) practices.
Raising awareness about nutrition, menstrual hygiene, and mental health.
Active participation of citizens for voluntary blood donation, Nikshay Mitra
Volunteer and organ donor registration.
Distribution of digital cards and special registration including Mother and Child
Protection (MCP) Card, Sickle Cell card, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana
Yojana (PMMVY) enrolment and registration of beneficiary on POSHAN
Tracker.
As per the information provided by the Ministry of Women and Child Development
(MoWCD), alongside the Swasth Nari, Sashakt Parivar Abhiyaan, 8th Rashtriya Poshan
Maah was also launched on 17th September, 2025 and celebrated till 16th October 2025,
at all Anganwadi Centres across the country. Themes taken up during the Poshan Maah
included - Addressing Obesity, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE),
Reinforcing Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Practices, Men-streaming, Vocalfor Local, and Convergent Actions and Digitization. The activities conducted during the
8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah were monitored through Jan Andolan Dashboard. Overall,
14.33 crore activities were reported in convergence with the 18 partner ministries during
the 8th Rashtriya Poshan Maah all over the country.
(b) As per the information provided by the Ministry of Women and Child Development
(MoWCD), theWorld Bank in2021 conducted asurvey on Poshan Abhiyaanin 11priority
states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh) with the highest rates of
anemia and stunting. This survey revealed that the services delivered through the Poshan
Abhiyaan were associated with improved nutrition behaviors. The survey also found that
the program's nutrition messages reached more than 80% of women, and that 81% of
womenpracticedexclusivebreastfeedingforthefirstsixmonths.
Further, a third-party evaluation and impact assessment of Poshan Abhiyaan was
conducted by NITI Aayog in 2020 and also in 2025 and has found its relevance to be
satisfactoryfortacklingmalnutritioninthecountry.
(c) Under the National Health Mission (NHM), the Government of India has
implemented several measures as a continuous, institutionalized framework to sustain the
community participation and behaviour change achieved during the campaign. These
efforts are maintained throughout the year across the country, covering rural and
aspirational regions including the Jhalawar-Baran Parliamentary Constituency of the
State of Rajasthan.
1.82 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) have enabled States/UTs to extend a
broader package of services closer to the community, particularly in underserved districts
including regular screening at AAM and outreach camps at the community level for hard
to reach areas for various health activities. Outreach camps are regularly held for
conducting immunization activities and anemia testing activities as well.
Beyond the management of illnesses, promotive and preventive health is an integral part
of comprehensive primary health care that includes physical activities like marathons,
Yoga, meditation etc. Moreover, 42 Health calendar days annually and ten wellness
sessions monthly are celebrated at Ayushman Arogya Mandir where various activitiessuch as health talks, counselling for healthy diet and lifestyle, counselling & cessation
activities on substance abuse, etc. are being undertaken to ensure wellbeing of the
community.
Ayushman Melas at Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) & Community Health Centres
(CHCs) have been institutionalized through monthly fixed day outreach services, namely
Ayushman Arogya Shivir from 2024-25.
Under the Poshan Abhiyan, Community Based Events (CBEs) are organised at
Anganwadi Centre twice a month to strengthen processes for community engagement,
empowerment of beneficiaries and increased social accountability of ICDS.
Information Education and Communication (IEC) to create awareness and disseminate
information on the government schemes related to health and nutrition.
Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada are celebrated every year for community
mobilization and awareness generation on health and nutrition.
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