Worker in ICDS programme is?

AIIMS Rishikesh & Jodhpur NO - 2017

Community Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: AIIMS Rishikesh & Jodhpur NO - 2017

Explanation

The Anganwadi Worker (AWW) is the cornerstone of the ICDS programme, operating at the grassroots level within a village or community.
According to the scheme, one AWW is appointed for a population of 400–800 to run an Anganwadi Centre.
She is responsible for delivering a comprehensive package of services including supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-ups, and pre-school education.
The target beneficiaries for the AWW's services are children under six years of age, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.

Option B: The Village Health Guide (VHG) was part of the Rural Health Scheme introduced in 1977. This scheme has been discontinued by the Government of India, and their functions have been largely integrated into the roles of ASHA and Anganwadi workers.
Option C: A Health Supervisor is a mid-level administrative and supervisory role within the health system. They oversee the work of multiple frontline workers (like ANMs or MPWs) across several villages, rather than being the primary service provider themselves.
Option D: The Multi-Purpose Worker (MPW), typically male, is a staff member of a Health Sub-centre. Their responsibilities are broader and part of the general primary health care system, focusing on aspects like disease control, sanitation, and family planning, not specifically the ICDS programme.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Functionaries of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Programme as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
For a community health nurse, understanding the specific roles of different health workers is crucial for effective collaboration and referral.
The Anganwadi worker is the nurse's key partner at the village level for implementing maternal and child health (MCH) services, tracking beneficiaries, and mobilizing the community for health days and immunization sessions.
What if a nurse needs to implement a supplementary nutrition program for underweight children in a village? The nurse would collaborate directly with the Anganwadi worker, who maintains growth charts and is responsible for distributing supplementary food.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question, which is 'ICDS programme'.
This is a factual recall question based on knowledge of national health programmes in India.
Recall the specific designation of the frontline worker associated with the ICDS scheme.
Evaluate each option: 'Anganwadi' is directly linked to ICDS.
Eliminate the other options by identifying their correct context: 'Village health guide' (defunct scheme), 'Health supervisor' (supervisory role), and 'MPW' (part of the general health system at the sub-centre).

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Functionaries of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Programme
Stem keywords: ICDS programme, worker
Lead-in keywords: is
Negative lead-in flag: false

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