The Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action (SNEHA) has launched a city-wide campaign, #JungAgainstJunk, as part of Poshan Maah (Nutrition Month).
The campaign aims to raise awareness among young people about nutrition, including the importance of balanced diets, iron-rich foods to address anaemia and alternatives to junk food. SNEHA plans to reach more than 3,000 families this year across vulnerable communities in Mumbai.
Campaign engages communities through festive outreach
SNEHA has partnered with more than 19 Ganesh Mandals across Dharavi, Kandivali, Kalwa, Mankhurd, Govandi, Mumbra and Wadala.
Volunteers from the organisation, along with government officials, will conduct activities including Nutrition Thali and Bazaar programmes, puppet shows, street plays, film screenings and games.
The initiative seeks to engage community members and encourage young people to make informed food choices during the festive season and beyond.
Focus on nutrition and anaemia awareness
The campaign places particular emphasis on adolescent nutrition and the importance of iron-rich foods.
According to the organisation, the outreach activities are designed to help participants understand the role of nutrition in maintaining health and reducing the risk of conditions such as anaemia.
By using community-based events and local partnerships, the campaign aims to make nutrition information accessible within neighbourhoods where health vulnerabilities remain a concern.
SNEHA cites gains in maternal and child health
Speaking on the campaign, Dr. Rama Shyam, Programme Director, Empowerment, Health and Sexuality of Adolescents, SNEHA, said: “In a recent survey that we had conducted, we observed how through community-driven interventions and collaborative efforts with the government, there were significant improvements in maternal and child health through our sustained efforts. Through these sustained efforts, we helped communities reduce malnutrition, anaemia and actively utilize public health system services which in turn also improved maternal and child health outcomes.”
She added: “As the festive season has begun, we would like to take this step even further to sustain these improvements during this season as well as beyond it. Junk food is one of the biggest hurdles in improving one’s health and healthy eating habits need to be promoted among today’s youth. We are confident that through this campaign and our collaborative efforts, we will be able to sustain this momentum to improve children’s and their family’s health. And break the intergenerational cycle of poor nutrition, with young people leading the way to become adults practising responsible diets!”
Report highlights health indicators between 2021 and 2026
SNEHA’s report, Sustaining Impact Through Partnerships 2026, highlighted improvements in several maternal and child health indicators between 2021 and 2026.
According to the report, stunting reduced from 30% to 21%, wasting declined from 14% to 11%, and underweight prevalence fell from 28% to 22%.
The report also noted that appropriate maternal referrals increased from 76% to 87% during the same period.
SNEHA said the campaign seeks to build on these outcomes by continuing community-based nutrition awareness and health promotion efforts.
CSRBrief View: Why this matters — community nutrition efforts can reinforce long-term health gains
Nutrition awareness programmes play an important role in supporting behavioural change, particularly among adolescents who are forming long-term dietary habits. By linking Poshan Maah activities with community participation and local institutions, the campaign seeks to make nutrition messaging more accessible and relevant.
The initiative also builds on broader maternal and child health gains reported by SNEHA, highlighting how sustained community engagement can contribute to improvements in nutrition, health-seeking behaviour and public health outcomes over time.
