Anemia is one of the major theme through which this year Poshan Maah is being celebrated. Anemia has always been one of the key focus areas under Jan Andolans so far. Anemia is a health concern, mainly affecting young children, adolescent girls, pregnant, postpartum women and women in the reproductive age. The period of adolescence is the right window of opportunity to correct any nutritional pitfalls in young adolescents to prevent intergenerational effects of anemia on future generations.

To give high importance to issues around Anemia, dedicated Anemia related themes and activities have been taken up by the Ministry of WCD in convergence with relevant Ministries/ Departments in the previous Jan Andolans for mass sensitisation. In the last Poshan Maah held in September, 2023, more than 35 crore sensitisation activities have been reported, of which around 4 crore were focused around Anemia.

In addition to directly reaching out to 69 lakh Pregnant Women (PW) and 43 lakh Lactating Mothers (LM), the scheme currently encompasses more than 22 lakh Adolescent Girls (14-18 years) under the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) across Aspirational Districts and NE Region. With a strong direct presence of more than 10 crore beneficiaries and their families, and further reaching out to every corner of the nation twice annually through first of its kind nutrition-centric Jan Andolans. Engagement of Adolescent Girls has all the potential to provide additional velocity required to create malnutrition free India, especially on their engagement while continuing Ministry’s efforts to support Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’s (MoH&FW) Anemia Mukt Bharat programme at large.

 Further, Ministry of WCD in coordination with Ministry of Ayush is implementing an initiative for management of anemia and to improve the nutritional status of Adolescent girls (aged 14-18 years) in five Utkarsh Districts through evidence-based Ayurveda interventions comprising drakshavleh and punarnavamandoor.

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SS/MS