Anemia rate among our children and adults has gotten worse in the country, putting a question mark on the efficacy of the Government's Anemia Mukta Abhiyaan or Anemia-Free Campaign. Latest data shows that prevalence of anemia among children aged six months to five years has increased by more than nine per cent in about five years from 58.6 per cent in national family health survey (NFHS) 4 to 67.1 per cent in NFHS-5, conducted during 2019-21. The HEALTH PIONEER reports.

Anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines anaemic individuals as children under five with haemoglobin levels less than 11.0 grammes per deciliter (g/dL) and women in the reproductive age range with haemoglobin levels less than 12 g/dL

The Government recently revealed this disturbing fact in Parliament saying that Ladakh topped the list with 90 per cent anemic children followed by Gujarat (80 per cent), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (76 per cent). Situation was similar in Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir (73 per cent), and Punjab and Rajasthan (71 per cent) too.

This decline, despite a string of measures taken by the government in last several years, is a cause of concern.

Responding to a question, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in a written reply in Parliament had said that the  Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB)  strategy is being launched under POSHAN Abhiyaan (Prime Minister's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) with the target of reducing anaemia in the six population groups - children (6-59 months), children (5-9 years), adolescent girls and boys (10-19 years), pregnant women, lactating women and women of reproductive age group (15-49 years) in lifecycle approach.

In fact, Anemia rate among youth and women is also not impressive.

Health experts have raised concern at the rise in the cases given that anemia has many harmful effects on children's lives as it reduces learning capacity, attentiveness and intelligence.

Studies show that education and ethinicity of the community has played a key role in cutting down anemia rate. For instance, a research ‘Prevalence and risk factors of anemia among children 6–59 months in India: A multilevel analysis’ published in journal Clinical Epidemiology and Clinical Health, said that “some aspects of the community influence the anemia risks of children. For instance, a 1 percent increase in the proportion of mother education in the community decreased the likelihood of anemia by 9 per cent among children.

“Northeast region was the only region at lesser risk of anemia. Higher community level ethnic and religious homogeneity is associated with decreased odds of anemia among children. Children aged 12–35 months, girl child, children having diarrhoea, mothers of age group 15–24, high parity and low exposure to mass-media were the high risk individual factors of anemia among children,” it said.

Dr Rahul Bhargava, Director, Haematology, Haemato – Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram called for increasing awareness about this deficiency which can be at times life threatening.

The doctor pointed out that no doubt most common causes of anemia include nutritional deficiencies, particularly iron deficiency. But deficiencies in folate, vitamins B12 and A are also important causes. Also, diseases like thalassemia or sickle cell disease and aplastic anemia may result in severe anemia or cancer. “Such patients need regular blood transfusions,” he said.

“We need a dedicated day to raise awareness about normal range of hemoglobin in females,” Dr Bhargava added.

Some of the major interventions by the Government under AMB, include prophylactic iron and folic acid supplementation, deworming, intensified year-round behaviour change communication campaign, testing of anaemia using digital methods and point of care treatment, addressing non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis. But given that anemia continue to remain a major public health problem, its time for the authorities to re-evaluate its strategy for better outcome.