Kamrup District Pilot Program Shows Success in Reducing Child Malnutrition with Small Fish Powder Initiative

Rangia : A pioneering pilot programme aimed at combating child malnutrition by incorporating nutrient-dense small fish powder into children’s diets has shown promising results in Kamrup district. Launched during the Poshan Maah celebration in September 2023, the six-month initiative has significantly reduced underweight and severe stunting conditions among children, and improved their Body Mass Index (BMI).

The project, titled ‘Pilot-cum-Scaling: Inclusion of Nutrient-Dense Small Fish Powder in Diets among Pre-School Children of Anganwadi Centres and LP School Children through a Partnership Approach at Bongaon Block in Kamrup District of Assam’, released its findings on Thursday, highlighting substantial improvements in children’s health. Spearheaded by the Kamrup district administration with technical support from World Fish, a CGIAR research organization, and financial backing from the APART Project of ARIAS Society in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Assam, the project has garnered positive outcomes.

Kamrup District Commissioner Keerthi Jalli formally unveiled the findings at a programme held at her office chamber of the Integrated District Commissioner’s Office in Amingaon, alongside Dr. Sanjay Sarma, Fishery Coordinator of APART Project, ARIAS Society, Pratul Barman, District Fishery Development Officer, Kamrup.

District Commissioner Jalli expressed satisfaction with the project’s positive impact, noting significant improvements in the nutritional status of the children involved. “The success of this initiative reflects the promise of scaling up such interventions to enhance child nutrition across Assam, and the collaboration between World Fish, local authorities, and various stakeholders showcases a model that could potentially be scaled to other regions facing similar nutritional challenges,” she added.

“Fish is a staple food in Assam, widely consumed and rich in essential nutrients. Recognizing its potential to address nutritional deficiencies, the project focused on integrating small fish powder into the diets of pre-school and primary school children in Bongaon Block, Kamrup District. The initiative targeted 55 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) and 43 Lower Primary (LP) Schools, reaching approximately 3,300 children. The children received meals enriched with fish powder thrice weekly, with each serving containing 7g for AWCs and 8g for LP schools. This is being done for the first-time in India,” Keerthi Jalli added.

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