Lok Sabha Question No. 139 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-21
Subject: Anaemia in Women
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Umesh G. Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 139 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST JUNE,2019

## ANAEMIA IN WOMEN

## 139. DR. UMESH G. JADHAV:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether Anaemia in women is a significant public health issue in India;
- (b) if so, the number of women especially adolescent girls suffering from anaemia in the country, urban and ruralwise; and
- (c) the steps being taken by the Government to overcome this issue?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- ( a) : According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS) -IV (2015 - 16), the prevalence of anemia among women aged 15 to 49 years is 53 % .
- ( b) : According to National Family Health Survey (NFHS) -IV (2015 - 16), the prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls aged 15 - 19  years is 54 % . The disaggregate data of adolescent girls suffering from anemia in the coun try, urban and rural -wise is not available.
- ( c) : Under the National Health Mission (NHM), the steps taken to tackle anaemia  are:
1. Anaemia Mukt Bharat(AMB) has been launched in the year 2018 as part of Intensifie National Iron Plus Initiative (NIPI)Progr am for accelerating the annual rate of decline of anemia from one to three percentage points. The target groups for AMB are Children 6 -59 months, 5- 9 years, Adolescent Girls & Boys of 10 - 9 years, Women of Reproductive Age (15 - 49 years), pregnant Women and Lactating mothers.
2. Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) Programme is being implemented to meet the challenge of high prevalence and incidence of anaemia amongst adolesc 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  anae pregnant women.
4. Universal screening of pregnant women for anemia is a part of ante - natal  care and all pregnant  women  are  provided  iron  and  folic  acid  tablets  during  their  ante - natal  visits through the existing network of sub - centers and primary health centers and other health facilities  as  well  as  through  outreach  activities  at  Village  Health  &  Nutritio ays (VHNDs).  These women are also counselled for dietary habits.
5. 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  Medica officers/ OBGYN to detect and treat cases of anemia.
6. Every pregnant woman is given iron and folic acid, after the first trimester, to be tablet daily for 6 months during ante - at l and post - natal period each.  Pregnant women, who are found to be clinically anaemic, are given t wo tablets daily.
7. To address anaemia due to worm infestation, deworming of pregnant women is done afte first trimester preferably in second trimester of pregnancy.
8. Operationalization of   Blood Bank in District Hospitals and Blood Storage Unit in district  facilities  such  as  Sub - Divisional  Hospital/  Community  health  Centers  is  being taken to tackle complications due to severe anemia.
9. To  tackle  the  problem  of  anemia  due  to  malaria  particularly  in  pregnant  women  a children,  Long  Lasting  Insecticide Nets  (LLINs)  and  Insecticide  Treated  Bed  Nets (ITBNs) are being distributed in endemic areas.
- 10.Health and nutrition education through IEC & BCC to promote dietary diversificati inclusion of iron folate rich food as well as food items that promotes iron bso ption.
- 11.MCP Card and Safe Motherhood Booklet is being distributed to the pregnant women fo educating them on dietary diversification and promotion of consumption of IFA.
- 12.Information,  Education  and  Communication  (IEC)  material  in  the  form  of  poster , hoardings, wall - writings and audio - visuals have been developed & disseminated to the States/UTs to promote prevention of anemia.