BHAWANIPATNA: The Kalahandi administration has launched an initiative to tackle anaemia among girls and pregnant women in the district. Project manager of National Health Mission, Kalahandi Abani Mohapatra said a project proposal of Rs 2.63 crore was sent to Niti Aayog for approval. Recently, the apex public policy think tank of the union government gave its nod for the proposal.
Under the project, survey work to identify anaemic girls and women in the district is underway. Of the target group of 2.18 lakh, 68,000 have already been tested and 33,000 were found anaemic. At least 480 girls and women in the district were found to be severely anaemic. Mohapatra said ANMs and mobile health units have been engaged to carry out the survey which will be completed by the end of this month. The testing will be conducted every six months.
An app has been developed to keep track of those suffering from anaemia. Folic acid, til laddus, amla candy, fortified rice kernel and double-fortified salt are being supplied to beneficiaries through self-help groups. Severe cases of anaemia having less than seven-gram haemoglobin will receive blood transfusion, he added.
As per the comparative data of National Family Health Survey of 2020-21, anaemia is prevalent among girls and women of the district due to stress, lack of awareness on use of balanced diet and poor sanitation practices. As per the survey, while 67.1 per cent girls aged between six and 59 months were anaemic in the country, the percentage was 64 in Odisha and 69 in Kalahandi.
In the adolescent age group of 15 to 19 years, 59 per cent girls were anaemic in the country against 65 per cent in Odisha and 66 per cent in Kalahandi. Similarly, in the reproductive age group, the prevalence of anaemia was 57 per cent in India, 49 per cent in Odisha and 64 per cent in Kalahandi.
Sources said the Kalahandi University has also launched a programme to address anaemia among its girl students.