Lok Sabha Question No. 958 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-25
Subject: Lancet Study on Anaemia
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Gaurav Gogoi

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 958 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25 TH JULY,2025

## LANCETSTUDYON ANAEMIA

## 958. SRI GAURAV GOGOI:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the findings of the recent Lancet study highlighting the alarming burden of adolescent health challenges in the country including poor diet quality, anaemia and rising mental health concerns;
- (b) the current national data on prevalence of anaemia, malnutrition and mental health disorders among adolescents (ages 10-19), disaggregated by gender and region;
- (c) the specific programmes or interventions currently in place to address these adolescent health issues, particularly in school and community settings;
- (d) whether the Government is planning to revise or expand existing schemes like the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) to respond to the multi-dimensional health challenges raised by the study and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether any inter-ministerial coordination is being undertaken between the Health, Education and Women & Child Development ministries to ensure a comprehensive adolescent health strategy and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)

(a) to (e) The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data for prevalence of Anaemia and Malnutrition in the country provides for data availability for the age group of 15-19 years. State/UT wise data is placed in the Annexure.

As per the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16, undertaken across 12 States of India, 7.3% of adolescents (aged 13 - 17 years of age) were suffering from mental disorders with a similar distribution between males (7.5%) and females (7.1%).

To ensure the holistic health and development of the adolescent population, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implements the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) since 2014 within the National Health Mission. Approvals are given to States/UTs based on the proposals received in their Annual Programme Implementation Plans.

The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram addresses the multi-dimensional health challenges of the adolescents by having interventions across the themes of nutrition, noncommunicable illnesses, substance abuse, injuries and violence (including gender-based

violence), sexual reproductive health and mental health. The programme is implemented across health facilities with clinic-based services for health promotion and prevention of diseases, and interventions at schools and within communities.

The interventions to address the adolescent health issues within community and in schools are implemented in partnership with the Ministries of Education and Women and Child Development, and are as under:

- i. Peer Education (PE) Programme is implemented through selected and trained Peer Educators from schools and community, who form groups of boys and girls and conduct regular participatory sessions on issues of adolescent health.
- ii. Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) programme entails provision of a weekly-supervised IFA tablets to in-school boys and girls and out-of-school girls for prevention of iron and folic acid deficiency anaemia. It is implemented across the country in both rural and urban areas, covering government, government aided schools, and Anganwadi Centres.
- iii. National Deworming Day (NDD) under which albendazole tablets are administered in a single fixed day approach via schools and Anganwadi Centres in two rounds (February and August) to reduce the soil transmitted helminth (STH) infestation among all children and adolescents (1-19 years).
- iv. School Health & Wellness Programme is a joint initiative of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Education to foster growth, development and educational achievement of school going children by promoting their health and wellbeing. Two teachers from each school trained as 'Health and Wellness Ambassadors' (HWAs) on 11 thematic areas including emotional wellbeing and mental health and nutrition, promotion of healthy lifestyles etc. conduct activity-based classroom sessions regularly.

*****

## Annexure referred to in the reply to parts (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 958 for answer on 25.07.2025

## Annexure

| State/ UTwise data on Anaemia and Malnutrition (Source : NFHS 5 2019-21)   | State/ UTwise data on Anaemia and Malnutrition (Source : NFHS 5 2019-21)   | State/ UTwise data on Anaemia and Malnutrition (Source : NFHS 5 2019-21)   | State/ UTwise data on Anaemia and Malnutrition (Source : NFHS 5 2019-21)   | State/ UTwise data on Anaemia and Malnutrition (Source : NFHS 5 2019-21)   | State/ UTwise data on Anaemia and Malnutrition (Source : NFHS 5 2019-21)   | State/ UTwise data on Anaemia and Malnutrition (Source : NFHS 5 2019-21)   | State/ UTwise data on Anaemia and Malnutrition (Source : NFHS 5 2019-21)   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sr. No                                                                     | States/ UTs                                                                | Women aged 15-19 years who are anaemic (%)                                 | Men aged 15-19 years who are anaemic (%)                                   | Women (15-19                                                               | Women (15-19                                                               | Men (15-19 yrs)                                                            | Men (15-19 yrs)                                                            |
| Sr. No                                                                     | States/ UTs                                                                | Women aged 15-19 years who are anaemic (%)                                 | Men aged 15-19 years who are anaemic (%)                                   | BMI <18.5 ( thin) (%)                                                      | BMI ≥25.0 (overweight or obese) (%)                                        | BMI <18.5 (thin) (%)                                                       | BMI ≥25.0 (overweight or obese) (%)                                        |
| 1                                                                          | Andaman &Nicobar                                                           | 44.9                                                                       | 27.1                                                                       | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         |
| 2                                                                          | Andhra Pradesh                                                             | 60.1                                                                       | 18.7                                                                       | 39.6                                                                       | 9.8                                                                        | 40.8                                                                       | 13.2                                                                       |
| 3                                                                          | Arunachal Pradesh                                                          | 48.5                                                                       | 24.9                                                                       | 13.8                                                                       | 5.9                                                                        | 13.6                                                                       | 8                                                                          |
| 4                                                                          | Assam                                                                      | 67                                                                         | 39.6                                                                       | 32.6                                                                       | 3.9                                                                        | 28                                                                         | 4.4                                                                        |
| 5                                                                          | Bihar                                                                      | 65.7                                                                       | 34.8                                                                       | 43.6                                                                       | 2.6                                                                        | 46.2                                                                       | 2.4                                                                        |
| 6                                                                          | Chandigarh                                                                 | 57.7                                                                       | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         |
| 7                                                                          | Chhattisgarh                                                               | 61.4                                                                       | 31.5                                                                       | 40.3                                                                       | 3.5                                                                        | 36.6                                                                       | 4.5                                                                        |
| 8                                                                          | Delhi                                                                      | 51.6                                                                       | 18.9                                                                       | 31.6                                                                       | 10.3                                                                       | 31.8                                                                       | 13                                                                         |
| 9                                                                          | DNH& DD                                                                    | 63.9                                                                       | 37                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         |
| 10                                                                         | Goa                                                                        | 44.5                                                                       | 15.8                                                                       | 39.3                                                                       | 13.6                                                                       | 51.5                                                                       | 10.2                                                                       |
| 11                                                                         | Gujarat                                                                    | 69                                                                         | 36                                                                         | 52.5                                                                       | 4.9                                                                        | 46.5                                                                       | 8.8                                                                        |
| 12                                                                         | Haryana                                                                    | 62.3                                                                       | 29.9                                                                       | 40.8                                                                       | 6.8                                                                        | 38.3                                                                       | 7.6                                                                        |
| 13                                                                         | Himachal Pradesh                                                           | 53.2                                                                       | 22.1                                                                       | 39.7                                                                       | 4.9                                                                        | 33.6                                                                       | 6.4                                                                        |
| 14                                                                         | J&K                                                                        | 76.2                                                                       | 53.5                                                                       | 18                                                                         | 6.8                                                                        | 15                                                                         | 10                                                                         |
| 15                                                                         | Jharkhand                                                                  | 65.8                                                                       | 39.7                                                                       | 43.1                                                                       | 2.6                                                                        | 41.4                                                                       | 4.3                                                                        |
| 16                                                                         | Karnataka                                                                  | 49.4                                                                       | 26.5                                                                       | 42.4                                                                       | 8.3                                                                        | 47.1                                                                       | 9.5                                                                        |
| 17                                                                         | Kerala                                                                     | 32.5                                                                       | 27.4                                                                       | 34.8                                                                       | 6.9                                                                        | 36                                                                         | 7.1                                                                        |
| 18                                                                         | Ladakh                                                                     | 96.9                                                                       | 93.1                                                                       | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         |
| 19                                                                         | Lakshadweep                                                                | 31.4                                                                       | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         |
| 20                                                                         | Madhya Pradesh                                                             | 58.1                                                                       | 30.5                                                                       | 43.8                                                                       | 2.9                                                                        | 47.3                                                                       | 4.6                                                                        |
| 21                                                                         | Maharashtra                                                                | 57.2                                                                       | 27.9                                                                       | 48.2                                                                       | 7.1                                                                        | 41.3                                                                       | 8.3                                                                        |
| 22                                                                         | Manipur                                                                    | 27.9                                                                       | 7.8                                                                        | 20.2                                                                       | 9.6                                                                        | 27.4                                                                       | 7.2                                                                        |
| 23                                                                         | Meghalaya                                                                  | 52.5                                                                       | 30.1                                                                       | 19.7                                                                       | 2.4                                                                        | 22.5                                                                       | 2                                                                          |
| 24                                                                         | Mizoram                                                                    | 34.9                                                                       | 21.5                                                                       | 11.3                                                                       | 8.5                                                                        | 19.4                                                                       | 6.6                                                                        |
| 25                                                                         | Nagaland                                                                   | 33.9                                                                       | 19.6                                                                       | 35.7                                                                       | 2                                                                          | 27.2                                                                       | 0.7                                                                        |
| 26                                                                         | Odisha                                                                     | 65.5                                                                       | 30                                                                         | 36                                                                         | 6.4                                                                        | 32.9                                                                       | 8.5                                                                        |
| 27                                                                         | Puducherry                                                                 | 58.4                                                                       | 30.7                                                                       | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         | NA                                                                         |
| 28                                                                         | Punjab                                                                     | 60.3                                                                       | 32.7                                                                       | 38.5                                                                       | 8.2                                                                        | 34.2                                                                       | 8.5                                                                        |
| 29                                                                         | Rajasthan                                                                  | 59.4                                                                       | 34                                                                         | 40.1                                                                       | 2                                                                          | 34.7                                                                       | 3.7                                                                        |
| 30                                                                         | Sikkim                                                                     | 46.7                                                                       | 17.6                                                                       | 13.8                                                                       | 12                                                                         | 32.7                                                                       | 4.2                                                                        |
| 31                                                                         | Tamil Nadu                                                                 | 52.9                                                                       | 24.6                                                                       | 34.6                                                                       | 14.2                                                                       | 36.9                                                                       | 11.9                                                                       |
| 32                                                                         | Telangana                                                                  | 64.7                                                                       | 25.1                                                                       | 43.4                                                                       | 7.5                                                                        | 49.9                                                                       | 10.4                                                                       |

|   33 | Tripura       |   67.9 |   27.2 |   33.8 |   8 |   43 |   15.7 |
|------|---------------|--------|--------|--------|-----|------|--------|
|   34 | Uttarakhand   |   40.9 |   27.6 |   31.1 | 6.7 | 38.6 |    3.6 |
|   35 | Uttar Pradesh |   52.9 |   28.2 |   37.3 | 3.9 | 40.2 |    3.4 |
|   36 | West Bengal   |   70.8 |   38.7 |   31.7 | 7.1 | 36   |    3.9 |