Aarti Dhar Five-year plan to also ensure safe water and sanitation, besides child protection Setting new goals: Minister of State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury with Representative of UNICEF Karin Hulshof during the launch of the GoI-UNICEF programme of co-operation 2008-2012 in New Delhi on Thursday. NEW DELHI: India and the United Nations Children's Fund on Thursday launched a five year action plan to help India achieve its national development goals. The joint plan focuses on the reduction of infant and maternal mortality rates (IMR and MMR), fighting malnutrition, tackling HIV, providing quality education, ensuring safe water and sanitation besides child protection. The overall goal of the 2008-2012 Country Programme is to advance the fulfilment of the rights of all women and children to survive, develop, participate and be protected by reducing social inequalities based on gender, caste, ethnicity or region. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury said high infant and maternal mortality rates were areas of serious concern as was child marriage that adversely impacted woman's health due to multiple births, lack of spacing between children, lack of awareness and availability and accessibility of contraceptives. She expressed happiness that the corporate and private sector was voluntarily coming forward to participate in women and child welfare programmes. The reproductive and child health programme aims to reduce the IMR and MMR from 58 to 28 per 1,000 live births, and from 301 to 100 per 1,00,000 live births by enhancing access to and more equitable coverage of immunisation, child survival and maternal care, while strengthening health systems. The child development and nutrition programme focuses on improving the nutritional status of the mother and child, by promoting breastfeeding, appropriate complementary foods and feeding practices and significant reduction in micronutrient deficiencies. The child environment programme aims to improve the availability of clean and safe water, its management, conservation and equitable allocation, as well as access to sanitation and adoption of critical hygiene practices. Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse, initiating tracking systems on children in need or care and protection will be the focus of the child protection programme. The social policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation programme will seek to improve systems for data gathering, analysis and dissemination to support evidence-based programme planning and advocacy while the behaviour change communication helps to strengthen the government's capacity for communication for behaviour and social change. Finally, the advocacy and partnership programme will aim to build a voice for children through Parliament, civil society organisations, media and celebrities. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for State for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury said high infant and maternal mortality rates were areas of serious concern as was child marriage that adversely impacted woman's health due to multiple births, lack of spacing between children, lack of awareness and availability and accessibility of contraceptives.