Health
and Family Welfare Minister Ambumani Ramadoss informed the
Lok Sabha the other day that 69.5 per cent of children in
the age group of six to 59 months are suffering from anaemia
of which 63 per cent are in the urban areas and 71.5 per cent
in the rural areas. Anaemia is a multifaceted problem. The
reasons cited for widespread anaemia are inadequate consumption
of green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits. Concerned by
the whopping number of children in the age group of six to
59 months suffering from anaemia, the government is taking
several steps, including providing supplementary and fortifying
food and vitamins supplements to rectify the malady. This
is also a fact that a large number of people from rural areas
are suffering due to anaemia. In absence of proper education,
the problem has assumed alarming proportions. Even though
under the reproductive and child health programme (RCH-11)
the government is providing iron and folic acid tablets to
all pregnant and lactating women and pre school children to
control anaemia. Children in the age group of six to 10 years
would be provided with 30 mg iron and 250 mg of folic acid,
while adolescents in the age group of 11-18 years would receive
the same dose as adults, the health minister said. The minister
said they are planning to provide vitamin A supplements to
children till five years of age. Also, health ministry has
launched a pilot project on fortification of micronutrients
with flour and oil. Ramadoss informed that the government
was planning a huge awareness campaign on breast-feeding and
the women health volunteers have been asked to inform the
villagers to use locally nutritious food. Even the children
born in affluent families are anaemic.
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