UNICEF IN INDIA

© UNICEF India
A school girl
participates in a class.

UNICEF has been working in India since 1949. The largest UN organization in the
country, UNICEF is fully committed to working with the Government of India to ensure
that each child born in this vast and complex country gets the best start in life, thrives and
develops to his or her full potential.

The challenge is enormous but UNICEF is well placed to meet it. The organization uses
quality research and data to understand issues, implements new and innovative
interventions that address the situation of children, and works with partners to bring those
innovations to fruitition.

What makes UNICEF unique in India is its network of 13 state offices. These enable the
organization to focus attention on the poorest and most disadvantaged communities,
alongside its work at the national level.

UNICEF uses its community-level knowledge to develop innovative interventions to

ensure that women and children are able to access basic services such as clean water,
health visitors and educational facilities, and that these services are of high quality. At the
same time, UNICEF reaches out directly to families to help them to understand what they
must do to ensure their children thrive.

UNICEF also wants them to feel a sense of ownership of these services. That same
knowledge and interface with communities enables the organization to tackle issues that
would otherwise be difficult to address: the complex factors that result in children
working, or the growing threat that HIV/AIDS poses to children.

UNICEF knows that key to addressing these challenges are its partnerships with sister
UN agencies, voluntary organizations active at the community level, women’s groups
and donors.
THE COUNTRY PROGRAMME, 2008-2012
Government of India – UNICEF Programme of Co-operation

Over the last five years, India has seen impressive economic growth as well as progress
in terms of human development. The economy has gone from strength to strength, with
growth rates as high as nine per cent in 2006-07, while the population below the poverty
line has been gradually falling.

However, in its approach paper for the 11th Five Year Plan, the Government of India
(GOI) recognizes that even these remarkable growth rates are not fast or equitable
enough to reach disadvantaged populations.

GOI has adopted National Development Targets which are in line with – and at times
more ambitious than – the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

While the current rate of progress of a number of indicators is not sufficient to meet many
of these targets, the government’s commitment to “inclusive growth” presents a unique
opportunity to improve the lives of all Indian children.

UNICEF’s 2008-12 Country Programme seeks to complement government-led

programmes to achieve these development goals, and is guided by the Convention on the
Rights of the Child and other international and regional commitments.

Key achievements of the UNICEF Country Programme (2003-2007)

The previous Country Programme focused on the fulfillment of rights of all children and
women, and the promotion of an enabling environment to ensure equity and to strengthen
accountabilities towards children..

In collaboration with government schemes, key achievements over the last five years
include

• Increased household consumption of iodised salt;

• Provision of water supply and sanitation to 65 per cent of schools;
• Mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS prevention education for adolescents in 75 per cent
of all government schools;
• Doubling in the coverage in household sanitation ;
• Improved school governance and child-friendly classroom environments;
• Adoption of Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses
(IMNCI) as a key strategy for child health;
Goal and objectives

The overall goal of the 2008-2012 Country Programme is to advance the fulfillment of
the rights of all women and children in India to survival, development, participation and
protection by reducing social inequalities based on gender, caste, ethnicity or region.

UNICEF’s work is centered on children from neonatal stages to adolescence. There is

also a special focus on social inclusion in all these programmes, keeping in mind the fact
that the Eleventh-Five-Year Plan emphasizes on ‘inclusive growth’ and recognizes social
exclusion and inequality as a constraint to the achievement of MDG goals.

UNICEF will work closely with government flagship schemes to strengthen their
capacity to deliver quality services to all its citizens.

Programmes

In addition to reducing infant mortality rates (IMR), the Reproductive and Child Health
programme will also aim to reduce maternal mortality rates (MMR) from 301 to 100 per
100,000 live births. The main interventions will revolve around enhancing child survival
and maternal care.

Key results include:

• Reduction of IMR from 58 to 28 per 1,000 live births.

• Reduction of MMR from 301 to 100 per 100,000 live births.

The Child Development and Nutrition programme will stress on the nutritional status of
the mother along with the child. UNICEF will focus on providing technical know-how to
enhance ICDS functioning and delivery by supporting training of the field-level workers
on the one hand and by conducting a nationwide awareness campaign on the issue with
the purpose of influencing policy. Anticipated results include:

• Reduction in the level of malnutrition.

• Significant reduction in micronutrient deficiencies.

Child Environment improving freshwater availability, its management, conservation and

equitable allocation, as well as access to sanitation and adoption of critical hygiene
practices.

Key results include:

• Sustainable access to and use of safe water and basic sanitation services.

The Child Protection will seek to protect children from violence, exploitation and abuse.
The programme will seek to create a protective environment for children through the
improvement and expansion of services to children in need of care and protection and
children in conflict with the law under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act, child
labour laws and other related legislation.

Key results include:

• Strengthened policies, budgets, laws, norms, guidelines and tracking systems on

children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with the law.
• Establishment of child protection units at the state level.

The Education programme will endeavor to fine-tune policies and strategies to increase
the enrolment, retention, achievement and completion rates in elementary education. In
particular, the programme seeks to improve learning outcomes, completion rates and
literacy levels amongst disadvantaged groups.

Key results include:

• Increasing enrolment, retention, achievement and completion rates in elementary

education.

The Children and AIDS Programme will seek to reduce vulnerabilities, slow down the
rate of new infections and mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS among children 0-18 years
old; in addition, the emphasis in the area of prevention will be on the most at risk and
especially vulnerable young people up to the age of 24.

Key results include:

• Mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS prevention education into the curricula and teaching

of all government secondary schools.
• Provision of correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS and risk reduction to 70 million
out-of-school adolescents and young people, at the state level.
• Provisioning of comprehensive PPTCT services to 40 per cent of all HIV-positive
pregnant women, appropriate care and treatment to all identified HIV-positive
infants and adequate care and protection received by an increased proportion of
children affected by HIV at the state level.
• Delivery of targeted comprehensive HIV-prevention services to 90 per cent of at-
risk adolescents and developing replicable models for HIV/AIDS prevention,
care, support and treatment in the 17 integrated districts.

The Social Policy, Advocacy and Behaviour Change Communication programmes will
focus on influencing national policies and schemes with respect to rights of children and
women through advocacy, and on reaching families and communities on a number of
inter-related behaviors and social/cultural norms that cut across programmes.

In view of the fact that almost 80 per cent of India is vulnerable of natural disasters,
which cause extensive damage to lives and livelihoods every year, the Emergency
Preparedness and Response programme will ensure the fulfillment of rights of children
and women in humanitarian crises.

Geographic Focus

At a national level, UNICEF will work closely with the central government in ensuring
that children’s rights are reflected and resourced in policies and programmes. In the
disadvantaged states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh,
Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, the emphasis will be on focusing resources in terms of
programming, policy and advocacy.

In Assam, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
and Kerala, UNICEF will continue to support limited-scale programming balanced with
advocacy and influencing policy to build on progress made in the social sector.

At a district level, UNICEF will continue to concentrate efforts on community

empowerment, behaviour change, and programmatic interventions, innovations and
convergence.
CELEBRITIES SUPPORTING UNICEF’S WORK IN INDIA
Globally, UNICEF works with nearly 200 Goodwill Ambassadors to increase public
awareness of the rights of children and women and UNICEF's work in protecting those
rights.

In the nearly 50 years since celebrities began working with UNICEF, they have helped
sway government policies on behalf of children, publicize children's issues around the
globe and raise funds for UNICEF-supported programmes.

Celebrities in India (from the world of film / music / theatre / sports) have a strong
national and regional appeal. Over the years they have played a significant role in helping
UNICEF to create public awareness on children’s issues.

Also their involvement has mobilized action and resources from civil society, thereby
sending a message that children are an urgent priority.

UNICEF in India partners with its ambassadors Amitabh Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore
as well as key celebrity advocates who are committed to supporting the cause of children.

Priyanka Chopra, Sachin Tendulkar, Aamir Khan, Raveena Tandon and Nandana Sen
have been actively supporting UNICEF’s work for women and children in India.

Some of the invaluable contributions by our celebrity partners include innovative Public
Service announcements, participation at key advocacy events and media interactions to
generate a discourse around key issues.

Here is the list of Issue Associations of celebrities supporting UNICEF’s work in

India

1. Goodwill Ambassador: Amitabh Bachchan: Polio

2. National Ambassador: Sharmila Tagore: HIV stigma and discrimination

3. National Celebrity: Aamir Khan: Nutrition

4. National Celebrity: Raveena Tandon: Maternal and Neonatal health

5. National Celebrity: Priyanka Chopra: Convention on the rights of the child, Early
Marriage and Adolescent Girls’ lifeskills

6. National Celebrity, Nandana Sen: Gender based violence some facets of child
protection.

7. National Celebrity, Sachin Tendulkar, Hand washing and personal hygiene.

CONTRASTS AND CHALLENGES
India is a country of contrasts and great complexity. The picture is not simply one of rich
versus poor.

The enormous challenges for development are the marked disparities among different
geographical regions, between social groups, among different income levels and between
the sexes.

Even within states there are marked differences. Female literacy rates in Maharashtra, for
example, range from 83 per cent in the district of Mumbai to 46 per cent in Nandurbar.
Similarly, while the average child sex ratio for Maharashtra is 917 females per 1,000
males, it ranges widely between districts: from 974 in the district of Gadchiroli to 850 in
Sangli.

Malnutrition afflicts more than half of all rural children even as problems related to
obesity threaten their more affluent peers. While India boasts of state-of-the-art hospitals
offering some of the best medical care in the world, there are communities where a health
worker has not been seen for years.

The growth of modern infrastructure in cities contrasts with the most basic needs: only
two out of every three urban households have water taps and three out of every four have
toilets. The Indian Institutes of Technology provide world-class education to thousands,
while over 190 million Indian women remain illiterate.

Gender disparity is evident as almost twice as many girls as boys are pulled out of school,
or never sent to school.

Birth registration

Birth registration is an area where there are significant differences between states,
ranging from only 2 per cent of births being registered in Bihar to 95 per cent in Goa.
With such diversity throughout the country, it is important for reliable disaggregated
information to be available and used at all levels.

While monitoring progress towards the national targets as outlined in the 10th Five Year
Plan is important, data should also be generated and analysed at local levels to ensure that
services reach the most disadvantaged.

Through evidence-based programming and targeting, resources can be directed to the

most disadvantaged populations, resulting in a narrowing of the disparities.
HISTORY OF UNICEF IN INDIA
Milestones in the history of UNICEF's work in India.

2004 UNICEF joins Government of India’s (GOI) efforts to eradicate polio.

2000 UNICEF partners with GOI to ensure eradication of guinea worm.

1996 UNICEF supports launch of GOI’s RCH programme.

1986 UNICEF works with GOI to launch Oral Rehydration Therapy Programme for
treatment of diarrhea.

1985–86 UNICEF supports launch of GOI’s Universal Immunization Programme, now

reaching millions of children throughout India.

1975 UNICEF supports piloting and launch of Integrated Child Development services.
Today this programme reaches out to 4.8 million expectant and nursing mothers and 30
million children under six years of age.

1967 UNICEF's association with GOI's rural water programme provides emergency relief
to tackle severe drought. Since then, the national water programme has expanded to
provide access to protected sources of drinking water to 95% of India’s villages.

1949 UNICEF begins working in India.

1949-1959

Milk Feeding Programme

Partition takes its toll, soon after Independence the Government of India launches a milk-
feeding programme for refugee children, and UNICEF assists in this programme.

India’s first Penicillin Plant Established

1949 - India’s first penicillin plant set up at Pimpri; it is the first public sector
undertaking in the Drugs & Pharmaceutical Sector. UNICEF provides equipment and
technical assistance.

India’s first DDT Plant Established

1954 – India’s first DDT plant set up to supply National Malaria Eradication Programme
launched by the Government of India. Plant is set up with the equipment provided by
UNICEF.

India works on Disease Control

Malaria control and demonstration projects started in Orissa, Mysore and United
Provinces in collaboration with W.H.O. and the Malaria Institute, Delhi.

India Undertakes Massive Campaign on Vaccination Promotion

A mass publicity campaign is undertaken for the promotion of BCG vaccination. The first
Governor General of India backs the campaign and the programme, assisted by UNICEF
together with United Nations Information Centre.

India Establishes Anti-T.B Centers

In 1951, 5 anti-tuberculosis centers are established Bombay, Madras and West Bengal.

Maternal and child health

Maternal and child health programmes begin in India in the early 1950s and the flow of
UNICEF supplies and equipment begins soon after. MCH activities intensify from 1952-
54 when the GOI adopted a National Extension Programme for rural areas, later termed
as Community Development Programme.
1960-1970

Pre-vocational Training for Children

1963 - Pilot project on prevocational training for children who had completed 5 years of
primary education launched. The Government decides to experiment and strengthen this
programme in 40 training centres.

1963-Water Supply Schemes in India get a boost with UNICEF entry.

Assistance in the form of hardware material, equipment and transport, benefited around
50,000 rural populations in selected states, as a part of the health plan.

Science Teaching
Early 1960s-the Government of India and UNICEF sign an agreement for reorganization
and expansion of science teaching in the schools of India. Emphasis is on teaching
through demonstration kits rather than through chalk and talk method. NCERT,
UNESCO and UNICEF work together.

Blind Children
Government’s efforts for training the blind supported by UNICEF, initially in the form of
equipment. The aim is to increase the enrollment of blind children in regular schools.

Applied Nutrition Programme

A nationwide village–based Applied Nutrition Programme introduced in 1963. India
signs a master plan of operation with UNICEF and its sister agencies, WHO and FAO;
UNICEF assists ANP with equipment and supplies.

1970-1980

EPR-The Super Emergency 1971-72

Government of India and UNICEF swing into action almost simultaneously, to face the
unimagined emergency that put the life of millions of innocent children of the fleeing
refugee families from East Pakistan at risk.

Education in Food & Nutrition 1971

Indian Council of Agricultural Research in cooperation with UNICEF and FAO initiates
a programme of “Higher education in Food and Nutrition”. The attempt is to have an
indirect but long-term impact on the nutritional status of children and women in rural
areas.

Health Services 1973

Initiated by the government all over India, the uni-purpose workers of various vertical
national programmes are converted into multi-purpose workers, this is a significant step
forward in the provision of rural health care in the country.
Special Child Relief 1974
Government of India, with the support of UNICEF starts the SCR programme, following
the severe food shortage in several flood and drought affected areas in the northern part
of the country.

1975-Integrated Basic Services Approach

Ministry of Social Welfare and UNICEF sign a master plan of operation to improve the
physical, social and psychological development of the most vulnerable and needy groups
of children and their mothers.

Special Nutrition Programme

A further intermediate step taken by UNICEF in the Special Nutrition Programme
introduced by the Government of India. The aim is to extend coverage to a larger number
of beneficiaries.

RYTE
The first Ready to Eat (RYTE) food processing unit started at Anand (Gujarat) with
UNICEF support. Similar plants initiated in other parts of the country in 1977.

Community Health Workers

CHW, later known as the Community Heath Volunteers (CHV), scheme launched in
1977 by the central government. Health workers to serve as health guides to rural
families. UNICEF supports this with funding, as well as the provision of kits and manuals
in local languages.

1978-Community Biogas Plants

In support of the development of ‘energy saver’ technology, UNICEF assists
experimental community biogas plants. Another such pilot project initiated in 1978 in
Uttar Pradesh.

Oral Rehydration Therapy 1978

1978 - The government’s efforts to reduce infant and child mortality due to diarrhoeal
diseases supported by UNICEF for the production of new revolutionary solution-oral
Rehydration therapy. 1986 – ORT becomes a fully-fledged national programme.

1978 UNICEF supports the Hyderabad Urban Community Development Programme

which became a national and international model for UCD.

1980-1990

Rural Water Supply

International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade (1981-1990). UNICEF is a
partner of the Indian Government in the accelerated rural water supply programme.
 Against Leprosy
Edutainment comes to India in the form of a play on leprosy related stigma, called “Khat
ki Garhi”.

Convention on Right of Child 1986

1986 - Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted at historic South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit. Subscribes to the goals of universal
coverage of primary education and child immunization.

National Missions 1986

1986 - Government of India launches six national missions or mass campaigns of which
UNICEF collaborates on the National Mission on Immunization, the National Mission for
Drinking Water and the National Literacy Mission.

1990-2000

Decade of the Girl Child

The 1990s were declared as the SAARC Decade of the Girl Child.

Bihar Education Project 1991

Bihar Education Project launched in 1991 with the express purpose of bringing about
quantitative and qualitative improvement in the elementary system in Bihar. UNICEF
assists central and state government in the project.

National Plan of Action for Children 1992

India’s first National Plan of Action for Children drafted in 1992
(following the World Summit for Children in 1989, establishes a new Plan of Action for
Children in 2005.)

Launch of GOI’s RCH Programme 1997

The Reproductive and Child Health Programme aimed to universalize immunization,
antenatal care, and skilled attendance during delivery as well as for common childhood
ailments.

Super Cyclone of Orissa

1999 'super cyclone' hits the Orissa coast killing about 10,000 people. State Government
is supported by various agencies including UNICEF which coordinates relief operations
for about 1.7 million children.

2000 Onwards….

School Feeding Law

The Supreme Court of India passes a landmark school feeding law in 2001.Under the
new legislation all state governments have to introduce a cooked mid-day meal in all
primary schools.
Dular Project
2001 - The Dular project, to combat malnutrition, infant mortality and poor maternal
health, started in selected districts of Bihar and Jharkhand by the Government with
UNICEF support.

Iodine Deficiency Disorder

Since the 1990s, the Government of India, UNICEF, other UN agencies and NGOs have
been working together for the promotion of Iodised salt as the best way of preventing
Iodine Deficiencies Disorders. Today in India, more than 14 million out of the 26 million
newborns are protected against brain damage due to iodine deficiency.

IMNCI
2002 - the government of India decided to experiment with the implementation of
integrated management of neonatal and childhood illnesses.

Infant Milk Substitute

The national enactment of the 2003 Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant
Foods Amendment Act, that serves to strengthen the existing 1992 law, becomes a major
step promoted and welcomed by UNICEF and partners. This legislation mandates that
infants shall receive exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, and thereafter
optimal complementary feeding, along with continued breastfeeding, up to two years of
age or beyond.

Children/Young People Affected by HIV/AIDS

2005 - UNICEF supported the first national consultation on children and young people
affected by or vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. The objective is to make prevention education
available, provide care and support, stop the spread of HIV from mother to child, and
make antiretroviral treatment accessible.

Parliamentary Forum
2005 - The honorable speaker of the Lok Sabha launches the Parliamentary Forum on
Children. UNICEF provides research and data support.

THEIR WORK

UNICEF ACTION ON HEALTH

National Rural Health Mission

Under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) (2005-2012), India proposes a bold
approach to meet the MDG challenges for health.

Working for an ‘architectural correction’ of the public healthcare system, the NRHM
aims to decentralise health planning and implementation to the district level. This also
involves simultaneously pushing for convergence not only among traditionally vertical
health programmes (Reproductive and Child Health Programme, Immunization, Malaria
Control, TB Control, etc.) but also with other government departments.

UNICEF Programme and Policy Support

UNICEF plays a critical roll to ensure the effective implementation of the NRHM.
UNICEFRight from advocating at a national level for evidence based policies and
strategies to bringing technical assistance at district and grass-roots, ensuring capacity
building and introducing technical innovations for expanding coverage effectively, and
providing evidence and documentation of what works and what doesn’t to further refine
national and state specific implementation policies.

UNICEF also works to promote interaction and convergence of actions across different
social sectors. The following highlights some specific programming activities:

Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI).

The global Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) clinical package

developed by WHO and UNICEF has been adapted to include neonatal care and home
visitation being rolled out in India.

The overall package focuses on the newborn and the under-three child. It promotes home
visiting, care at birth, counseling, as well as identification, classification, and treatment of
main illnesses with standard protocols by expanding service delivery to village level and
by enhancing the skills of village workers (“Anganwadi workers”) and community health
workers (“Auxiliary Nurse-midwifes”).

The programme has demonstrated the effectiveness of a mix of community and health
facility based activities to improve newborn care practices at home; exclusive
breastfeeding; care-seeking during illness; referrals; and appropriate and prompt
treatment during illness.

Importantly, IMNCI is a central element of the National Reproductive and Child Health
programme.

Cricketers Go Hand washing

Indian Cricket Team Joins 100 Million School Children to Soap Up For Global
Handwashing Day (15 October 2008) Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and his
team mates are joining millions of school children around the country to lather up for
better health and hygiene as part of today's first ever Global Handwashing Day.

Tendulkar, who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of
the sport, appeared for free in a public service announcement developed by UNICEF and
the Government of India being broadcast in 14 languages on television channels across
the country to drum up support for the campaign.
"I wanted to be a part of this campaign, because washing hands with soap can keep
children safe and healthy and protect them against deadly diseases," the cricket star said.
"Having two young children, I constantly have to remind them to wash their hands before
and after meals."

Today's cricket event is just one of thousands of activities taking place across the country
as part of the global movement uniting millions of children in more than 70 countries
across five continents. In India, today a 100 million children will wash hands with soap at
rural schools in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat,
Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and
Assam states.

More than 1,000 children die every day in India from diarrhea.. Proper Handwashing
with soap can reduce diarrhoeal cases by 47 percent and acute respiratory illnesses by 30
percent.

Global Handwashing Day is part of the International Year of Sanitation 2008. Goal seven
of the Millennium Development Goals aims to reduce by half the number of people
without access to sanitation by 2015. Almost half of the people around the world without
a toilet live in India. Many of them live in rural areas.

"The crux of this campaign is that we are reaching out to students in hundreds of
thousands of schools in rural India, from children in the flood-affected areas of Bihar to
schools in far removed tribal regions of Jharkhand to satellite schools in Rajasthan," said
UNICEF India Chief of Water and Sanitation, Lizette Burgers.

Adequate sanitation also has a huge impact on school attendance. Providing private and
separate sanitary latrines in school can increase girls' enrollment by 11 percent. Currently
about 65 percent of Indian schools have sanitation coverage with only 34 percent of girls
completing their schooling. As part of the Global Handwashing Day, participating
children will pledge to wash their hands with soap following the prescribed five-step
method.

UNICEF ACTION ON NUTRITION

UNICEF supports the Government in its objectives to reduce and prevent
malnutrition, and to improve the development of children under three years old,
especially those in marginalized groups.

The Government’s Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, reaches

34 million children aged 0–6 years and 7 million pregnant and nursing mothers. The
world’s largest early childcare and development programme, it is designed to play a
significant role in the improvement of early childcare.
UNICEF supports iron supplementation for adolescent girls in 12 states and Vitamin A
supplementation in 14 states.

UNICEF is assisting the Government to further expand and enhance the quality of ICDS
in various ways: by improving the training of anganwadi (childcare) workers; by
developing innovative communication approaches with mothers; helping to improve
monitoring and reporting systems; providing essential supplies; by developing
community-based early childcare interventions.

Vitamin A and anemia programmes are strengthened through the provision of supplies,
the training of field workers and the support of programme management. It encourages
the universal use of adequately iodised salt by educating the general population and
collaborating with the salt industry.

The nutritional and development status of children under three years old is also improved
through community-based early childcare interventions currently being implemented in
seven states.

These interventions aim at bettering the care children get by educating their parents and
communities.

For example, in Madhya Pradesh a big effort was made through a state-wide programme
to identify all children who were malnourished. After weighing the children, those who
were severely malnourished were identified for treatment, and all parents were given
information on adequate feeding and child care.

As a result the number of severely malnourished children reduced by half. UNICEF

continues to support the government in linking vitamin A supplementation and
immunization services to these weighing and information provision sessions.

Working with salt producers - Tamil Nadu

Although Tamil Nadu is one of the three major salt producing and exporting states
in India, only about 20 per cent of its households were using adequately iodised salt
in 1999.

As a result, in collaboration with the government, UNICEF intensified its advocacy

among salt producers to produce iodised salt. Collaboration was initiated with a large
consumer organization, FEDCOT, a federation of 350 registered consumer organizations
in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, whose members work at the grassroots.

Together with FEDCOT, an awareness raising campaign was started among shopkeepers
and the general population. After several meetings with local salt producers and a
campaign to raise awareness amongst the local people, preliminary indications showed an
increase in the production of iodised salt: the sale of potassium iodiate, the fortificant
added to the salt, increased from about 300 kilograms per month to 500 kilograms per
month in the second half of 2003.

UNICEF ACTION ON WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND

SANITATION
UNICEF supports the national and state governments in developing and
implementing a range of replicable models for sanitation, hygiene and water supply:
elements from these have influenced Government policy and programmes.

The availability of protected drinking water sources has improved significantly over the
past few years. The current priority is to maintain water systems, monitor and regulate
water quality and ensure sustainability of sources. One particular concern is to ensure that
marginalized groups, especially women and the poor, participate in decisions about, and
benefit from, improved water supplies and sanitation services.

Protecting drinking water from faecal contamination remains a major challenge because
of a widespread lack of sanitation. One strategy is to protect vulnerable water sources by
maintaining platforms and drainage around hand-pumps. The most effective solution is to
focus on home hygiene practices, including propagating the sanitary use of toilets and
washing hands with soap or ash. UNICEF also supports low-cost solutions to protect
drinking water from excessive arsenic and fluoride.

Groundwater resources are over-exploited in many regions, and an equitable management

of demand coupled with interventions to improve recharge are needed. UNICEF supports
local initiatives in four water-scarce states (Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra) to
sustain drinking water sources.

UNICEF ACTION ON HIV/AIDS

As a part of the joint UN response and within the context of National Aids Control Plan
III, UNICEF collaborates with the Government of India and other partners in four key
areas we call the 4 Ps:

Primary prevention among young people is the greatest hope to defeat the virus.
UNICEF has been carrying out focused popular campaigns to raise awareness among the
children and young people. The Unite for children Unite Against AIDS campaign calls
upon everyone to join together to put the care and protection of children, adolescents and
young people at the centre of the HIV/AIDS agenda.

UNICEF provided technical support to Adolescence Education Programmes (AEP) in

schools. AEP is a joint initiative by the DoE, NACO in collaboration with NCERT,
UNFPA and UNICEF. This programme aims to strengthen life skills and increase
knowledge of young people required to empower them to say ‘no’ to negative peer
pressure and use the skills to protect themselves from HIV infections.

UNICEF is helping to reach at risk adolescents and young people in 43 high priority and
prevalence districts across the country, through focused peer outreach programmes and
by strengthening links to youth-friendly health services and communication initiatives.

2. Prevention of parent-to-child transmission (PPTCT) focuses on both women and

their partners with a view to create an AIDS free generation. UNICEF is supporting the
government’s PPTCT services in 2433 centers across the country. Women and their
partners will have access to confidential testing and counseling. HIV positive mothers
will receive antiretroviral drugs, as will their babies soon after the birth. The PPTCT
programme supports women in minimizing the risk of HIV transmission through
breastfeeding and follow-up care.

3. Pediatric HIV/AIDS - NACO with support of UNICEF, Indian Academy of

Pediatrics’, Clinton Foundation and WHO has formulated the policy and guidelines
which form the basis of the “National Paediatric initiative” for children living with HIV.
NACO under this initiative has set a target for providing ART to 10,000 children by
2007. This initiative has been launched on 30th November 2006 by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi
and William. J. Clinton. Now, as of September 2007, 6,500 children are receiving ART
and nearly 19,000 children were identified who may need ART in future.

4. Protection, care and support for affected children - Among the estimated 2.5
million people in India living with HIV/AIDS, 70,000 are children under 15 years old
(UNAIDS 2007). Every year about 21,000 children are infected through mother to child
transmission and thousands of children are affected because their parents are HIV
positive. UNICEF India has been working to get a clear picture on an evidence-based
approach to address the changing needs of the children affected by HIV/AIDS. On 31st
July 2007, Mrs. Renuka Chowdhury, Minister of State for Women and Child
Development, launched the first comprehensive National Policy on Children and AIDS in
India.

5. Communications and Advocacy - Communications and advocacy on HIV/AIDS is

essential to break the silence, contain the spread of the disease, and reduce the stigma and
discrimination incidents and to influence the policies that will benefit the HIV positive
children and young people. To achieve this, UNICEF works on two levels - (a) A
strategic anti stigma and discrimination campaign (b) Advocacy with MPs and key policy
makers.

Red Ribbon Express Train Commences its Year Long Journey

NEW DELHI, India, December 2009 – To create and increase awareness about
HIV/AIDS in India, the attractively decorated Red Ribbon Express (RRE) was flagged
off on World AIDS Day, 1 December 2009 by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the Chairperson of the
United Progressive Alliance and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. High level dignitaries,
important cabinet ministers and the Chief Minister of Delhi were present at the flag-off
event.

The Red Ribbon initiative targeted at young people and women has been conceptualized
by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and implemented by the National AIDS Control
Organization (NACO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Railways, the National Rural
Health Mission (NRHM) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“UNICEF is happy to have partnered with NACO in this ambitious project that reached
more than six million people throughout the length and breadth of India in its first run.
The innovative, interactive exhibits in the train engaged audiences, particularly women
and children, giving them a better understanding of the issues relating to HIV and AIDS,”
said Karin Hulshof, UNICEF India Representative

“The overwhelming response that the Red Ribbon Express received on its year-long
journey led to NACO's decision to run it for one more year and UNICEF's decision to
support this unique initiative once again. I am sure that it will be successful in taking the
message of HIV prevention to many more people across the country,” Ms Hulshof added.

The initiative supports the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 6 (combat
HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases) and aims to prevent HIV infections among young
people by increasing knowledge about transmission, prevention and heightening the
perception of risk associated with HIV.

The ten-coach Red Ribbon Express also aims to encourage people to adopt safe behaviors
and to reduce stigma and discrimination that prevent people from accessing services.

UNICEF ACTION ON CHILD PROTECTION

UNICEF India’s programmatic approach to child protection aims to build a protective
environment in which children can live and develop in the full respect of their
fundamental rights.

Translated into action, this approach led to a multilayered programme whose scope is to
understand and address the multiple vulnerabilities of children in need of special
protection rather than tackle only their immediate manifestations. UNICEF Child
Protection Programme in India focuses mainly on three areas of intervention: child
labour, child trafficking, and children in difficult circumstances.

In the area of Child Labour, projects implemented in various states of the country adopt
an essentially holistic approach, combining strategies aimed not only to the withdrawal of
children from work, but also to enhance communities’ awareness, ownership and
collective action for the protection and promotion of children rights.
Existing strategies include: a) Promotion of education as both, key preventive measure
and essential component for the rehabilitation of released children; b) Addressing poverty
related factors through the promotion of self-help-groups; c) Advocacy and social
mobilization for the elimination of child labour.

In Uttar Pradesh, for instance, this strategy led to an increase of more than 47 per cent in
school enrolment and attendance among the villages targeted by the ongoing UNICEF
child labour elimination intervention. Over 120 Alternative Learning Centers (ALC) have
been established in order to facilitate mainstreaming of out-of-school children into formal
education and through them more than 24,000 children have been able to go back to
school .

Moreover, over 1000 Self-Help-Groups have been established and they are now playing a
crucial role in reducing indebtedness among poor rural families. Women’s empowerment
is also showing to be instrumental to the well-being of children as a whole. With the
support of UNICEF, for example, 50 per cent of targeted villages have adopted three key-
friendly practices, namely an immunization coverage of more than 80 per cent, a school
enrollment rate of more than 90 per cent and a sensible increase in the age of marriage.

In the area of child trafficking, UNICEF India supports the Government with a twofold
strategy aimed to strengthen rescue mechanisms and reduce at the same time children’s
vulnerability to trafficking through a special focus on preventive action.

For this purpose, a National Communication Strategy on child trafficking has been
developed and is now being implemented at community-level through UNICEF state
offices. Manuals have been developed for social workers, judiciary, and counselors
working on issues of child trafficking in order to enable rescue and rehabilitation
processes which are in the best interest of the child.

As a part of its efforts to formulate strategies and legislations on issues related to child
protection, UNICEF also supports the Ministry of Women and Child Development,
Government of India, to undertake a national level study on children affected by violence
and to conduct regional and national consultations on child marriage and to hold
dialogues on Offences Against Children Bill.

In the efforts to improve the implementation of the Juvenile Justice System in the country
UNICEF is also supporting the government with the development of training materials
for the Judiciary and various other functionaries of the system like the child welfare
committee members, police and care-takers in the various institutions under the Act.

UNICEF is also collaborating with the Ministry of Women and Child Development on
the creation of a website for Missing Children to facilitate tracing and reintegration of
lost children.
UNICEF IN EMERGENCIES
Over the last two decades, India has borne the brunt of several major natural disasters
including the Latur Earthquake in 1993; the Orissa super-cyclone in October 1999, the
Bhuj earthquake in January 2001, the Tsunami in December 2004, the earthquake in
Jammu & Kashmir in October 2005, major flooding in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam,
Orissa, West Bengal and other states in 2007 and 2008, major avian flu outbreak in West
Bengal and Kosi floods in Bihar in 2008.

In 2009, the eastern Indian State of West Bengal was hit by cyclone Aila which affected
6.8 million people and resulted in a loss of 138 human lives. In addition, a number of
relatively smaller-scale emergencies, primarily floods, but also droughts, landslides,
cholera and avian flu outbreaks have occurred. Tens of millions people are affected
annually in India, most of them from the poorest strata of the population, a high
proportion of whom are children.

In most cases, UNICEF’s response complemented the government's efforts in providing

urgently needed supplies with the ultimate purpose of preventing disease epidemics and
saving lives, but UNICEF at the same time put an ever increasing emphasis on advocacy
efforts with the government partners and all other stakeholders to ensure appropriate
response to the needy affected population and fast resumption of essential social services.

In 2009, UNICEF was a major humanitarian player in the country that complemented the
governments' action. UNICEF provided support to the state governments to assist the
victims of communal violence and displacement, programme communication support in
tackling avian flu, and multi-sectoral support in dealing with major floods.

UNICEF works in collaboration with local and international partners, including

governments, UN agencies, and civil society. These partnerships are crucial to ensuring
comprehensive and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Key partners for UNICEF India include the Union Government’s National Disaster
Management Authority (NDMA), Sphere India Unified Response Strategy, RedR India,
and the Indian Red Cross Society.

With it’s network of 13 field offices covering 16 states in India – UNICEF has played a
critical role in times of crisis by gathering information, conducting rapid assessments and
providing a platform for the UNDMT to coordinate the UN system’s response in areas
where it has a presence.

While UNICEF is ready to respond to a humanitarian crisis anywhere in India,

emergency preparedness efforts are primarily focused on disaster-prone states.
The principal goal of UNICEF’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Programme in
India has been to ensure the fulfillment of the rights of children and women in
humanitarian crises.