GUNTUR: At an alarming rate, more than half of the women are suffering from anaemia.‘Anaemia’ is a medical condition of lacking enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to the body’s tissues. Having anaemia is also referred to as low haemoglobin. The most common cause of anaemia is not having enough iron. Adults with severe anaemia may be at risk of developing complications that affect their heart or lungs.
According to a recent National Family Health Survey, 55 per cent of women and 46 per cent of adolescent girls are suffering from anaemia. Moreover, the erstwhile Guntur district according to the last census has 25.41 lakh women in which most of them are anaemic, said Gynecologist Dr Ratnakumari.
Dr Ratnakumari said that about 59 per cent of girls suffer from anaemia during adolescence period.
Most of these women and children don’t even notice that they are anaemic even though they have been suffering for years, she added. Even if they get diagnosed, they don’t consider it as a serious health condition and neglect it most of the time.
“Many girls don’t prefer a balanced diet in order to be slim or fit which is the main reason for the low levels of iron and haemoglobin”, she opined. Mitigating anaemia needs a multi-level approach that includes a high level of awareness building, behaviour change, communication and challenging societal norms related to women's nutrition and health needs.
Anaemia can be cured by making the slightest changes in diet and taking proper care of fitness. Junk food should be avoided, and consumption of fruits and jaggery products should be increased to improve haemoglobin levels, she suggested.
The Central government has initiated ‘Anemia Mukti Bharath’ which provides iron tablets, folic acid, and other required vitamins to every child and woman under the age group of 50 years. The State government is also providing nutritious food, milk, and eggs to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children through Anganwadi centres.