NITI Aayog and UNICEF India Sign Statement of Intent to Strengthen Nutrition and Health Outcomes in Aspirational Districts and Blocks

In a significant step towards strengthening collaborative efforts for improving nutrition and health outcomes, NITI Aayog and UNICEF India today signed a Statement of Intent to support strategic interventions in Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks. The SOI was signed by Shri Rohit Kumar, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme, NITI Aayog and Mr. Arjan de Wagt, Deputy Representative, UNICEF India.

This collaboration aims to leverage the strengths of both institutions to advance efforts toward improved maternal and child nutrition outcomes in underserved regions. The partnership will support the promotion of multi-stakeholder engagement and strengthen implementation systems for nutrition and health interventions at the block level.

Shri Rohit Kumar noted that the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme has demonstrated the importance of convergence, collaboration and data-driven governance in accelerating development outcomes. He highlighted that partnerships with organisations such as UNICEF India will further strengthen efforts to address critical health and nutrition challenges and enhance last-mile service delivery in high-priority regions.

UNICEF India, through the IMPAct4Nutrition (I4N) platform, will provide technical expertise and support engagement with businesses, public sector enterprises and industry associations to channel CSR investments into nutrition-focused initiatives. The collaboration will focus on strengthening Anganwadi infrastructure, enhancing nutrition literacy, improving uptake of ICDS services and building the capacity of frontline workers.

Key activities under the collaboration include mobilising CSR partners to support health and nutrition interventions, promoting community engagement and supporting knowledge sharing platforms to identify and disseminate scalable best practices across Aspirational Districts and Blocks.

The signing of the Statement of Intent underscores the shared commitment of NITI Aayog and UNICEF India to advancing nutrition and health outcomes through strengthened partnerships, evidence-based approaches and coordinated action across government, private sector and community stakeholders.

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