Anaemia Mukt Bharat: How India fights to eradicate anaemia through its policy interventions

Did you know that anaemia affects around 500 million women aged 15 to 49 and 269 million children under 5 years worldwide? 

As per the National Health Survey-5, 52.2 per cent of pregnant women and adolescent girls falling under the age group of 15-49 years are anaemic. Children too are susceptible to being anaemic, as per the official figures 67.1 per cent of children under 5 years are anaemic. 

Symptoms

Signs like fatigue, diminished physical work capacity, and shortness of breath are most commonly seen in patients with anaemia. Common and non-specific symptoms include tiredness, dizziness, cold hands and feet, headache and shortness of breath, particularly during exertion.

The impact

Iron deficiency can result in impaired cognitive and motor development in children and decreased work capacity in adults. In pregnancy, iron deficiency anaemia can lead to perinatal loss, prematurity and low birth weight (LBW) babies.

Policy interventions

Launched in 2018, Anemia Mukt Bharat is a 6x6x6 strategy under which there are six interventions to reduce the prevalence of anaemia. 

This policy is focused on six age groups - preschool children (6-59 months), children (5-9 years), adolescent girls and boys (10-19 years), pregnant women, lactating women, and women of reproductive age (15-49 years). 

The 6 interventions under Anemia Mukt Bharat are:

- Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation

- Deworming

- Intensified year-round Behaviour Change Communication

- Testing and treatment of anaemia, using digital methods and point-of-care treatment

-Mandatory provision of Iron and Folic Acid fortified foods 

-Intensifying awareness, screening and treatment of non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets

Health