Why in news?
- Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Women and Child Development have signed a MoU for the nutritional improvement in adolescent girls through Ayurveda Interventions.
- It will be a Joint Public Health Initiative for Anaemia Control among adolescent girls using Ayurveda interventions in the five districts under Mission Utkarsh.
What’s in today’s article?
What is Anaemia?
- About
- According to the WHO, anaemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal.
- Haemoglobin is needed to carry oxygen.
- If there are too few red blood cells, or not enough haemoglobin, there will be a decreased capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues.
- This results in symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath among others.
- Factors
- The most common nutritional cause of anaemia is iron deficiency although deficiencies in folate, vitamins B12 and A are also important causes.
- Certain chronic diseases, such as kidney disease, liver disease, cancer, or autoimmune disorders, can interfere with the production of red blood cells.
- Inherited conditions, such as sickle cell anemia or thalassemia, affect the structure or function of red blood cells, leading to chronic anemia.
- Why should there be focus on Anaemia?
- Impact on morbidity and morality
- Anaemia is related to morbidity and mortality in the population groups usually considered to be the most vulnerable — pregnant women and children under five.
- Effect on reproductive health
- A prevalence study on anaemia is useful to monitor the progress of reproductive health.
- Impact on economy
- Iron-deficiency anaemia reduces the work capacity of individuals and entire populations.
India’s anaemia burden
- India’s anaemia burden has grown alarmingly with NFHS-5 (2019-21) finding that:
- 57% of women in the age group 15-49 and 67% children between six months and 59 months are anaemic (from the corresponding 53% and 58.6% respectively in NFHS-4 (2015-16)).
- The Health Ministry has noted that anaemia is a public health challenge.
News Summary: Mission Utkarsh - Initiative for Anaemia Control among adolescent girls using Ayurveda interventions
- The Centre launched an initiative to improve nutrition in adolescent girls (14-18 years) using Ayurveda.
Key highlights of Mission Utkarsh
- 15 central ministries or departments to work together
- To elevate districts at the bottom, to state and national averages.
- To be launched in five aspirational districts
- Initially, it would be launched in five aspirational districts (of five states) first as a pilot project.
- Aspirational Districts are a part of a developmental initiative introduced by the Government of India.
- The program aims to transform the most underdeveloped districts of the country by focusing on improving their socio-economic indicators.
- These districts, often characterized by high poverty rates, lack of basic infrastructure, and limited access to essential services.
- These are:
- Assam (Dhubri), Chhattisgarh (Bastar), Jharkhand (Paschimi Singhbhum), Maharashtra (Gadchiroli), and Rajasthan (Dhaulpur)
- Target group
- The aim is nutritional improvement among approximately 95,000 adolescent girls in anaemia prone districts.
