56% children below five years in Punjab anaemic, says NHM report

AMRITSAR: A majority of the child population in the state is gripped with anaemia as 56.4% of children between the age group of 6 months and 59 months (below 5 years) were found to be anaemic in a data released by the National Health Mission(nhm), Punjab, on September 11.

As per the data assessed during the ongoing antianaemia campaign in the state, ‘Anaemia-mukt Punjab—an Intensified National Iron Plus Initiative’, a high prevalence of disease has been diagnosed in Punjab across all the age groups.

Among other affected groups —56.4% of breastfeeding mothers, 53.5% of women in their reproductive age group (20-24 years) and 42% pregnant women — also lacked healthy red blood cells that carry adequate oxygen to the body’s tissues.

According to the report, anaemia is most common among the women of the state as only 29% of adolescent boys in the 15-19 years age bracket are anaemic against 54% of girls of the same age group in Punjab.

“The data was released by NHM, Punjab, on September 11. A major cause of anaemia in women is bad food habits. The state government and district health department are setting up free camps to spread awareness and treat anaemic patients,” said Dr Hardeep Singh Ghai, Amritsar civil surgeon.

When the 3rd National Family Health Survey (NFHS) was compared with the NFHS-4 for prevalence of Anemia in Punjab, 10% dip in the children’s age group (6 months to 59 months) was recorded in

2016. Meanwhile, all other five groups witnessed a huge rise in their percentage in NFHS-4.

National Health Mission (NHM), under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat, is using 6*6*6 strategy to combat anaemia. The strategy includes prophylactic iron folic acid supplementations, periodic deworming, intensified yearround behaviour and communication change, testing of anaemia using digital methods, mandatory provision for iron-rich foods in public health programs and addressing non-nutritional causes of anemia in endemicpockets.

Earlier, the health and family welfare department on September 18 had launched a 45-day campaign with the slogan of T3 —test, treat and talk— from Mohali. As many as 400 mega camps are being set up in the state under the campaign.