Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware that a large number of women particularly pregnant women are suffering from anemia in the country,
(b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and
(c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a): As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) - IV (2015-16), 53.1% women aged 15-49 years in the country are anaemic.
Similarly, the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women age 15-49 years is 50.4%.
(b): State-UT wise anemia prevalence for women aged 15-49 years and pregnant women (15-49 years) age group is placed at Annexure-I & II.
(c): Under the National Health Mission (NHM), the steps taken to tackle anaemia are as follows;
1. Anemia Mukt Bharat strategy has been launched for supplementation and treatment of anaemia in children (6-59 months), pre- school children (5-9 years), adolescents girls and boys (10-19 years), pregnant and lactating women and women of reproductive age group (15-49 years) through life cycle approach to prevent and treat micronutrient deficiencies.
The six interventions under Anemia Mukt Bharat strategy are as follows:
• Prophylactic Iron Folic Acid Supplementation
• Periodic deworming
• Intensified year-round Behavior Change Communication Campaign including delayed cord clamping
• Testing and Treatment of anemia using digital methods and point of care treatment
• Mandatory provision of Iron Folic Acid fortified foods in public health programmes
• Addressing non-nutritional causes of anemia in endemic pockets, with special focus on Malaria, Hemoglobinopathies and Fluorosis
2. Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) Programme is being implemented to meet the challenge of high prevalence and incidence of anaemia amongst adolescent girls and boys. The intervention under WIFS include supervised weekly ingestion of Iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablet (each IFA tablet contains 100mg elemental iron and 500µg folic acid) for 52 weeks in a year. To control worm infestation biannual de-worming with Albendazole 400mg is done, six months apart.
3. Health management information system & Mother Child tracking system is being implemented for reporting and tracking the cases of anaemic and severely anaemic pregnant women.
4. Universal screening of pregnant women for anemia is a part of ante-natal care and every pregnant women is given 180 tablets of iron and folic acid after the first trimester, to be taken 1 tablet daily for 6 months and same is continued during the post-natal period (till 180 days). Pregnant women who are found to be clinically anemic, are given two tablets daily.
5. To address anaemia due to worm infestation, deworming of pregnant women is done after first trimester preferably in second trimester of pregnancy.
6. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) has been launched to focus on conducting special ANC check up on 9th of every month with the help of Medical officers/ Obstetrics and gynecologists to detect and treat cases of anemia.
7. Operationalization of Blood Bank in District Hospitals and Blood Storage Unit in Sub district facilities is being taken to tackle complications due to severe anemia.
8. To tackle the problem of anemia due to malaria particularly in pregnant women and children, Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) and Insecticide Treated Bed Nets (ITBNs) are being distributed in endemic areas.
9. MCP Card and Safe Motherhood Booklet is being distributed to the pregnant women for educating them on dietary diversification and promotion of consumption of IFA.
10. Health and nutrition education through IEC & BCC to promote dietary diversification, inclusion of iron folate rich food as well as food items that promotes iron absorption.IEC material in the form of posters, hoardings, wall-writings and audio-visuals have been developed & disseminated to the States/UTs to promote prevention of anemia.