VIJAYAWADA: Krishna administration is aiming to make the district anaemia-free, the first such district in the State, by the end of 2018. Speaking to TNIE Krishna district collector B Lakshmikantham said, “We have initiated the supply of millet food to pregnant women in the district. Soon we want to supply similar nutrient- rich food to all women welfare hostels in the State, Anganwadi centres etc.
We are taking all kinds of steps and conducting awareness camps and counselling sessions and are also visiting the welfare hostels and conducting medical checkups. We want every women in the district to be healthy and ensure that no woman suffers from anaemia and face serious consequences”.
According to sources, in Krishna district, over 60,000 women have been identified to be suffering from anaemia. The district administration, which is currently providing iron-rich millet food to pregnant women, is now planning to serve similar millet food to the women welfare hostels, across the district.
As of now, the officials have identified all pregnant women, lactating women and adolescent girls in the welfare hostels. The identified persons have been divided into four categories, based on their hemoglobin count. The 60,000 women with anaemia, identified in the district, have different levels of hemoglobin. Of these 7870 women have hemoglobin between 8-10 percent. All these women are given iron-folic acid tablets, so that their hemoglobin count increases.
Currently, according to a scheduled diet plan, the district administration is providing millet food, such as sajja laddu, ragi malt etc., along with regular iron supplements, to a limited number of pregnant women in the district.
The Women and Child Welfare department of Krishna district is also planning to introduce special-meal plans for women staying in the welfare hostels and also perform their periodical checkups.
“We have identified that large number of women, including young teenage girls are suffering from anaemia. In order to make them healthy, we are planning to come up with various nutrition plans and special food package. This will not only eradicate anaemia, but also help to reduce maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate in future,” said K Krishnakumari project director, Krishna WCWD.