Govt. of Bihar and UNICEF Workshop on ‘Ankuran’ program sets Roadmap for Healthier Schools Across Bihar

PATNA (MR) : Reaffirming its commitment to tackle adolescent malnutrition and anaemia, the Government of Bihar, in partnership with UNICEF, organised a State-level Review and Orientation Workshop on the School Nutrition Program- ‘Ankuran’ today in Patna. The workshop brought together senior officials from the Education and Health Departments, Govt. of Bihar, and UNICEF representatives to review the progress of the ‘Ankuran’ program discuss strategies for scaling up its interventions across the state.

Mr. Vinayak Mishr, Director, Mid-day Meal, Education Dept., Govt. of Bihar, in his keynote address, emphasised the vital link between nutrition, health, and the school system. He stressed the need for protein-rich meals and nutrition education to help children adopt and promote healthy practices. Mr.Mishr expressed his concern over rising junk food consumption by children and adolescents, exposing them to obesity and pre-diabetes. He also highlighted the growing issue of vitamin D deficiency, particularly in urban areas.

Mr. Mishr acknowledged UNICEF’s significant role as a technical partner, supporting program design, capacity building, and providing knowledge expertise for the effective implementation of ‘Ankuran’. He called on participants to apply the workshop’s insights in their districts to maximise the program’s impact on children’s health and nutrition.

The workshop also marked the state’s plan to scale up the ‘Ankuran’ program from 18,000 schools currently covered to 40,000 government schools by the end of the year- a move aimed at reaching more children with critical health and nutrition interventions.

The need for focused intervention is underscored by data from the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS), which reveals that 28% of adolescents in Bihar are anaemic, and 23% suffer from low Body Mass Index (BMI). The ‘Ankuran’ program addresses these challenges through a multi-pronged approach combining nutrition, health check-ups, hygiene promotion, and community engagement. The program primarily covers children in classes I to VIII- both boys and girls- typically aged between 6 and 14 years.

The workshop reaffirmed the collective commitment of government departments, schools, health professionals, and development partners to make ‘Ankuran’ a success. By reaching out to children in schools- often the first point of contact for health and nutrition services- Bihar is setting an example of how cross-sector collaboration can bring meaningful change.

The workshop was attended by Govt. Of Bihar and UNICEF officers, including Dr. Vijeta, State Programme Officer, AMB, State Health Society Bihar; and Dr. Rajeev, State Programme Officer, RBSK, State Health Society Bihar and Dr. Antaryami Dash, Nutrition Specialist, UNICEF; Dr. Sandeep Ghosh, Nutrition Officer, UNICEF. The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Mr R.K. Singh, Assistant Director, MDM Directorate, Govt. of Bihar, acknowledging the contributions of all participants and partners. He called upon everyone to work together towards making schools active hubs for health promotion and nutrition awareness.