INDIA

Economy at a Glance 2007-2008

Country Description:
CARE began operations in India in 1950 and today works in eight Indian states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Food projects have been the center of CARE India's activities since the early 1960s. Since 1982, CARE has been an active supporter of the Indian government's Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program, a nutrition and health program that serves millions of poor women and children; it is the largest program of its kind in the world. CARE helps strengthen the capacity of ICDS anganwadi centers (rural health centers) to provide basic services that include the management of diarrhea and respiratory infections, immunizations, growth monitoring, health and nutrition education, and Vitamin A supplements. CARE also provides supplementary food rations to millions of malnourished children, adolescent girls and pregnant and nursing mothers through ICDS. CARE India is involved in several primary health care, small enterprise development and girls' education projects, and provides emergency relief to victims of natural disasters and political turmoil as needed. The pillar of CARE's programming in India will be the Integrated Nutrition and Health Program (INHP), which targets nursing mothers and children under the age of two, especially girls. This high-impact program integrates nutrition, family planning and primary health care in some of India's neediest areas.