Paalan 1000 is a new programme recently launched in India by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, with support from the Bernard van Leer Foundation. It aims to raise awareness of how parents and caregivers can support the cognitive development of their children during the early years.
The programme will combine coaching for parents and caregivers with services that meet their basic needs, delivered through primary health centers, hospitals, frontline workers, call centers, a parenting app, and a national campaign. This campaign includes adverts on TV, radio and in print, and the app provides practical suggestions for caregivers on things they can do in their daily routine to promote their child’s development.
The two-day launch event was covered in outlets including the Times of India, Press Information Bureau, The Economic Times, and The CSR Journal. It was also broadcast live on national television, and is available in full on the campaign’s YouTube channel.
You can follow the campaign also on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for content such as this short video previewing the new parenting app.
Actress Divyanka Tripathi is fronting the campaign, which focuses on six principles adapted for the Indian context from Boston Basics:
- Maximise love – infants and toddlers thrive when their world feels loving, safe, and predictable.
- Talk and engage – babies start to learn language from birth, taking in the sounds of their caregivers talking to them.
- Explore through movement and play – movement and play help toddlers to build strength and coordination, as well as develop their brains.
- Read and discuss stories – reading aloud to a baby and talking about the pictures in a book helps to build their language skills and spark their imagination.
- Engage while breastfeeding – talk or sing while breastfeeding to enhance the unique bond it creates between mother and baby.
- Manage stress and stay calm – infants and toddlers can sense your emotions and will react to them.
In the words of Dr. Bharti Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare: “The Paalan 1000 initiative will benefit children, parents and caregivers, and society at large”.
Rushda Majeed, the Bernard van Leer Foundation’s representative, added: “We are delighted at the successful launch and thankful for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s commitment to the first 1,000 days”.
