State govt to launch ‘KCR Nutrition Kits’ in nine districts of Telangana today

HYDERABAD: The State government is all set to launch ‘KCR Nutrition Kits’ from Wednesday for pregnant women across the State. Aimed at improving the nutritional status of pregnant women, the kits will be distributed in nine districts including Adilabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Jayashankar-Bhupalapalli, Jogulamba-Gadwal, Kamareddy, Kumurambhim-Asifabad, Mulugu, Nagar Kurnool and Vikarabad where anaemia deficiency is found to be most prevalent.

As per estimates, it will benefit 1.25 lakh pregnant women.The government has made arrangements to distribute a total of two-and-a-half lakh kits. For which a sum of `50 crore will be spent. A pregnant woman will receive two kits, first during the second antenatal care (ANC) checkup between 13-27 weeks and second during the third ANC checkup between 28-34 weeks.

The kits will be distributed in 231 government health centres. Each plastic basket contains one kg nutrition mix powder, two kg dates, three iron syrup bottles, 500 grams ghee, Albendazole tablets and a cup.
The aim of the nutrition kits is to reduce anaemia and increase haemoglobin percentage by providing proteins, minerals and vitamins. According to the central government’s sample registration survey this month, the maternal mortality rate came down to 43 from 92 in 2014.

With this, the State ranked third in the country in reducing maternal mortality. To further reduce this number, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is implementing the scheme.The initiative will be formally launched at Kamareddy by Health Minister T Harish Rao on Wednesday while local ministers will do the same in eight districts.