Iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation is being provided regularly to children of different age groups, pregnant women, and lactating mothers to remove anemia.
Raipur, 10 January 2023/ Under the Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, Chhattisgarh ranks third in the country in giving IFA (Iron Folic Acid) supplements to children, adolescents, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. In the entire country, only Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are ahead of Chhattisgarh. Children from six months to 19 years, as well as pregnant and lactating women, are provided IFA supplements as part of the Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. Mitanins provide iron and folic acid syrup to young children and tablets to pregnant and nursing mothers. In addition, children are given IFA medicines in school.
Every month, the Government of India issues the Score Card of IFA Supplementation in all States and Union Territories under the Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released a study on IFA supplementation throughout the country as a whole during the months of July, August, and September. According to this, Chhattisgarh has consistently ranked third in the country during these months.
State Nodal Officer of the Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, Dr. V.R. Bhagat, stated that Chhattisgarh routinely ranks third in IFA supplementation to cure anemia, sweeping behind many large states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. This initiative has picked,upstream in the state in recent months. Chhattisgarh was ranked sixth in the country by June 2022.
According to state-level IFA supplementation data released by the Government of India until September 2022, IFA supplementation was provided to 66.4 percent of children aged between six months to 59 months and 71.5 percent of children aged five to nine years in Chhattisgarh. During this time, IFA supplements were provided to 74.6 percent of children and adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, 95 percent of pregnant women, and 61.6 percent of lactating mothers. Taking all of these groups into account, the overall IFA supplementing rate in Chhattisgarh is 73.8 percent.
