Patna: JEEViKA women are taking an active role in Bihar’s 9th National Nutrition Month, being organised across the state from September 9 to October 8, 2026. The campaign is being conducted under the direction of the National Rural Livelihood Mission of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, with this year’s theme being “Hamari Anganwadi, Hamari Zimmedari”.
The campaign aims to strengthen public participation in the fight against malnutrition and promote awareness and behavioural change around health and nutrition at the community level. JEEViKA, under Bihar’s Rural Development Department, is using its community-based institutions and network of self-help groups to take nutrition-related messages to rural households.
Over the past eight years, JEEViKA women have participated in the annual Nutrition Month campaign. According to the organisation, the initiative has contributed to greater awareness about health and nutrition, while institutional and safe deliveries have increased and infant mortality has declined.
Focus On Women And Young Children
The campaign is particularly focused on pregnant women, lactating mothers and children aged 7 to 23 months. JEEViKA self-help group members are being encouraged to promote healthy nutrition practices and help families understand the importance of appropriate care during pregnancy, infancy and early childhood.
JEEViKA’s community network includes 11.88 lakh self-help groups, more than 73,000 village organisations and 1,684 cluster-level federations. The Nutrition Month activities are being implemented through these institutions in a planned manner.
JEEViKA staff, cluster-level federation representatives, master resource persons, community nutrition resource persons and JEEViKA Mitras are participating in the campaign and supporting activities at the grassroots level.
Nutrition Discussions At Self-Help Group Meetings
At the self-help group level, nutrition discussions have been made a regular part of weekly meetings. Members are discussing balanced diets, the use of locally available millets and other nutritious foods, prevention of anaemia, the importance of breastfeeding, care of children aged 7 to 23 months and complementary feeding.
The meetings also cover kitchen gardens and cleanliness. JEEViKA women are being encouraged to establish nutrition gardens at their homes, enabling families to grow and use locally available nutritious produce.
Awareness Drives At Village Level
Village organisations are conducting nutrition rallies and morning awareness marches, while also holding coordination meetings with Anganwadi centres. Activities for adolescent girls include discussions on menstrual hygiene and anaemia screening camps.
Nutrition messages are also being incorporated into traditional community programmes such as god bharai for pregnant women and annaprashan ceremonies for young children. The objective is to use such community gatherings to communicate practical health and nutrition information to families.
Cluster Federations Coordinate With Departments
At the cluster-level federation stage, JEEViKA organisations are coordinating with the block and district administrations, the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the Health Department. Large-scale nutrition exhibitions are also being organised through this coordination.
The campaign is being implemented through a three-tier community strategy covering self-help groups, village organisations and cluster-level federations, allowing nutrition-related activities to reach households through JEEViKA’s existing community network.
Community Workers Take Messages To Households
JEEViKA-trained health and nutrition master resource persons, community nutrition resource persons and JEEViKA Mitras form a key part of the campaign. Master resource persons are training community members, while community nutrition resource persons are reaching targeted families and explaining appropriate nutrition practices and the importance of the campaign.
JEEViKA Mitras are conducting household-level outreach and encouraging women to monitor children’s growth, ensure timely vaccination and opt for institutional deliveries.
The campaign is being monitored at the district, block and panchayat levels by JEEViKA personnel. At the district level, the District Project Manager is overseeing the Nutrition Month activities and monitoring their implementation on a daily basis.
The Nutrition Month campaign will continue across Bihar until October 8, 2026. Through community meetings, awareness programmes, health-related activities and household outreach, JEEViKA aims to strengthen public participation in nutrition initiatives and support efforts towards reducing malnutrition in the state.
