ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE : HUMAN POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT 243
(i) Initiate, undertake or aid directly or through its branches or affiliated bodies schemes
for the furtherance of child welfare in India.
(ii) It provides dissemination of knowledge and information and to educate public
opinion for child welfare programmes on a scientific basis.
(iii) Establish a central bureau for the study and collection of data and statistics in
respect of child welfare work.
(iv) It cooperates with national and international organizations having similar objectives.(D) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
It is an international agency, a subsidiary body of the General Assembly. It came into
being on 11th December 1946 after the Second World War. Now the words ‘international’
and ‘emergency’ have been dropped from the name of the organization. It is now called
United Nations Children’s Fund but abbreviation in vogue is still UNICEF. UNICEF has
completed 48 years of service in India. UNICEF is not financed through the regular U.N.
budget, but by voluntary contributions from the member countries, besides individual
organizations. 10% of its resources come from the sale of UNICEF greeting cards. Aid is
given only for those projects, which aim to prevent disease and promote health of the
mothers and children.
India and UNICEF
UNICEF has completed 48 years in the year 1997 and has provided assistance, training
programmes and many regional projects started from time to time. UNICEF has changed
many facets and programmes for the ever-changing health standards. In 1959 WHO and F
AO along with UNICEF started a nutritional programme for the children of less than 5
years of age. Then it was changed to Extended Nutritional Programme, which was organized
through Mahila Mandals. In 1963 this programme was made more useful by giving nutrition
to children and also to pregnant and lactating mothers and named as Applied Nutrition
Programme. In the decade 1980-90, UNICEF expanded its services to remote rural areas.
Functions of UNICEF
(i) Child Development and Survival
UNICEF provides priority to infant and children’s health and nutrition programmes.
Child and infant mortality rate during the decade 1985-95 declined from 110/1000 children
to 8711000.
(ii) Universal Immunization
Expanded Programme on immunization (EPI). This programme was started by the
W.H.O. in 1974 for providing immunization against six fatal diseases i.e. measles,
poliomyelitis, diphtheria, whooping cough or pertusis, tetanus and tuberculosis. This fulfils
the concept of providing primary health protection for all children.
(iii) Nutrition
UNICEF assist in conducting the Applied Nutrition Programme by establishing nutrition
centres, school and community gardens. Provides funds for training and nutrition programme
at rural level.