EVALUATION OF GROWTH PROGRESS AMONG MALNOURISHED CHILDREN ATTENDING VILLAGE CHILD NUTRITION CENTRE (VCNC) UNDER THE PROGRAMME ‘MISSION BALAM SUKHAM’ IN A TRIBAL AREA OF WESTERN INDIA -

Background: Government has started a programme “Mission Balam Sukham” to combat the malnutrition with 3 tier approach including Village Child Nutrition Center (VCNC), Child Malnutrition Treatment Center (CMTC) and Nutrition Rehabilitation Center (NRC). Present study was conducted with the aim to evaluate this programme at VCNC level in a tribal area of western India. Methods: Hundred malnourished children according to weight for age criteria by WHO, were selected from 10 VCNCs. Their growth progress was recorded and compared with other 100 malnourished children attending anganwadies from the area nearby, where the programme was not yet launched. VCNC intervention was done for 1 month. Children were followed for 3 months. Results: There was 2 times higher chances of malnutrition grade improvement among VCNC children as compared to anganwadi children with relative risk at the end of 1 month (95% CI =1.2609 to 3.5662) (P-value< 0.05). After completion of 3 months malnutrition grade improvement was similar in both the groups. The difference in growth progress was not statistically significant at the end of 3 months (P = 0.8656). Conclusions: The result suggests that VCNC intervention was not able to give sustained result over 3 month of period. VCNC intervention only gives short term benefits in improving malnutrition grades of borderline malnourished children.