Despite a favorable policy environment for maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN), frontline delivery of critical MIYCN interventions has been a sustained challenge in India’s public health nutrition programs.

In India, the policy framework for addressing maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN) exists, albeit accountability is spread across a myriad of schemes in multiple government departments.

The brief highlights key factors to scale up IYCF with impact based on a review of lessons learned from the A&T initiative and other successful global nutrition programs.

The brief describes missed opportunities in India’s Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) programs and presents options to bridge the maternal nutrition gap in India.

In February 2017, the first human milk bank in Viet Nam opened in the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children (DNHWC). The Ministry of Health and Alive & Thrive selected to establish these services at the DNHWC because of the hospital’s existing emphasis on breastfeeding.

From 2010-2014, Alive & Thrive worked in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Viet Nam to reduce undernutrition and death caused by sub-optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices.