Shillong, March 31: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday launched the ‘Mission 1000 Days’ programme aimed at strengthening early childhood development and improving nutrition outcomes across Meghalaya. The initiative focuses on the critical period from conception to a child’s second birthday, adopting a multi-sectoral strategy to address stunting, undernutrition, anaemia, and low birth weight.
Announcing a ₹127 crore allocation, the Chief Minister said the programme will provide nutrition support, medical kits, and essential services to mothers and children. The government also aims to eliminate malnutrition and stunting, while transforming Anganwadi Centres into ‘happiness centres’. Highlighting progress, Sangma noted that Meghalaya has already achieved a 50% reduction in Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and a 34% decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) since 2020-21.
Emphasising the importance of healthcare, the Chief Minister reiterated his vision of ensuring that no mother loses her life during childbirth. He also linked the initiative to the broader ‘Mission 10’ roadmap aimed at building a $10 billion economy, stressing the need to balance economic growth with social sector investments.
Additional Chief Secretary Sampath Kumar highlighted that the programme will be driven by a strong grassroots network, including 750 trained master trainers and 19,000 frontline workers across the State. A dedicated ‘Child-App’ has also been developed to track the health and progress of every mother and child.
The mission will be implemented through a five-pillar approach — Build, Empower, Nourish, Celebrate, and Rescue, focusing on Breastfeeding awareness and nutrition training, Mother’s workshops and community participation, Nutritious meal demonstrations and incentives, Hot cooked meals with eggs twice a week and Targeted support for children with growth issues.
During the event, the government distributed Chief Minister’s Mother & Baby Kits and launched awareness initiatives, including the Headman Fellowship for Early Childhood Development. Grants were also provided to hospitals and healthcare institutions under the Meghalaya Healthcare Advancement Policy 2024 to strengthen infrastructure. Experts from IIT Bombay also presented insights on training healthcare workers and providing accessible educational content for parents in local languages.
The programme is being implemented under the Meghalaya Early Childhood Development Mission with support from multiple departments and organisations, including the Ministry of Women and Child Development, National Health Mission, and FSSAI. The government said the initiative marks a significant step towards ensuring holistic child development and improved quality of life across the State.
