MEETING HIGHLIGHTS CHALLENGES TO ICDS IMPLEMENTATION IN MADHYA PRADESH
On September 24, 2013, Vikas Samvad, a POSHAN knowledge mobilization partner, and Spandan Samaj Seva Samiti held a meeting of the Child Development Project
Officers and supervisors of Khandwa District Madhya Pradesh to gain a better understanding the issues faced in their implementation of the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) and to discuss peer networks and knowledge sharing.
The participants highlighted several challenges:
- Poor communication among various local departments, leading to uncoordinated responses to local health and nutrition issues in Khandwa District.
- Lack of provision for the transportation of family members, and on occasion, staff members cover these costs from their personal resources.
- Lack of awareness by Anganwadi Workers that they need to accompany severely malnourished children to the treatment facility with their respective families.
- Lack of childcare services for mothers who need to stay with their severely malnourished child at the NRC.
- Dispensing expired medicines from the Arogya Kendra at AWCs
The group emphasized the importance of considering health and nutrition together, while recognizing that issues such as food security, access to clean water, sanitation, livelihoods and migration are equally important and closely related to addressing malnutrition. The participants recognized that it is essential that the different departments work in tandem on the ground to address the issue of malnutrition. In order to facilitate dialogue, the participants agreed that the development of a forum to openly discuss local issues related to convergence, including examples of successful coordination, would be beneficial.
Following this meeting, Vikas Samvad plans to support further discussions with the CDPOs and supervisors of Khandwa District.
