15th March 2024: Tata Asset Management today announced a partnership with Impact India Foundation (IIF) for ‘Project Janani’, a multi-year partnership aimed to empower and nurture tribal women during pregnancy, fostering a positive impact on the health and well-being of both mothers and their children in the Mokhada District.
This initiative aims at addressing the reduction of malnutrition within the tribal community of Mokhada block wherein identification of families, management of nutritional supplementation, and creating awareness regarding malnutrition are core to ensuring sustainable impact created through capital and social investment in the region.
Mokhada Block in the Palghar District consists of a tribal population of 1,40,000 lakhs. There are a total of 4 Primary health centers serving in Block Ase, Vashala, Khodala, and Morhanda respectively. These are further divided again into 7 Beats and 230 Anganwadis. The local study conducted in Palghar assessed the nutritional status of children between the age group of 1-6 years and concluded that 59% of children were stunted. The prevalence of underweight was about 53% and the prevalence of severely underweight was about 18%.
The project estimates to cater to 1500 pregnant women from these 4 PHC areas along with their children aged up to 2 years for 1000 days. Additionally, approximately 5725 children from Anganwadis will be intervened by IIF, focusing on their cognitive development.
On the program’s launch, Prathit Bhobe, MD and CEO of Tata Asset Management emphasized, “India grapples with high rates of malnutrition among children, low birth weight infants, anemia in children and women, and other critical micronutrient deficiencies. The problem of malnutrition contributes to 55% of child mortality, which has been stagnating. In our bid to address the alarming issue, we have partnered with IIF under ‘Project Janani’, a 40-year-old institution for this community health initiative. It marks a pivotal step in our commitment to combating malnutrition in the state of Maharashtra. We endeavor to ensure continued availability of nutritional resources and support strategies to anchor local communities and institutions to sustain positive impact of the project for long term basis.”
Prof. (Dr.) Rohini Chowgule, MD FCCP (USA), Managing Trustee of Impact India Foundation said, “Project Janani stands as a beacon of hope, embodying the transformative power of collaboration. Together with Tata Asset Management, we embark on a journey to nurture the health and well-being of mothers and children. Through this partnership, we aspire to create a fabric of care, resilience, and empowerment that will resonate across generations. Our shared commitment to social impact fuels our determination to create a brighter and healthier future for the communities we serve.”