Launch of Project on Anaemia Control Under Mission Utkarsh

Mission Utkarsh

• Launched in 2022 it is an initiative for rapid improvement of selected Key Performance Indicators(KPIs) in selected Aspirational Districts shortlisted by the Central Ministries. 
• Coverage: 10 Districts across ten States and selected KPIs have been chosen under four Schemes namely Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, National Rural livelihood Mission (NRLM) and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).
• Objective: To improve the performance of the selected districts in KPIs from the current/base level to state average within a year and to take them to national average or better within 2 years.

Anaemia

• Anaemia is a condition where the blood is  producing  a lower-than-normal amount of healthy red blood cells or Haemoglobin.
  • Haemoglobin is a protein found in red cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all other organs in the body.  If you have anaemia, your body does not get enough oxygen-rich blood.
• Types: Aplastic anaemia; Iron deficiency anaemia; Sickle cell anaemia; Thalassemia; Vitamin deficiency anaemia
• Prevalence of Anaemia: As per the National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-21)
  • Men  (15-49 years):  It is 25.0 percent
  • Women  (15-49 years): It is 57.0 percent
  • Adolescent Boys (15-19 yrs):  31.1 percent
  • Adolescent Girls (15-19yrs): It is 59.1 percent
  • Pregnant  women (15-49 years): 52.2 percent 
  • Children (6-59 months): 67.1percent 

• Government Initiatives: 

  • Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB): It  targets  to reduce anaemia in the vulnerable age groups such as women, children and adolescents.
  • Approach: It will follow the  life cycle approach by providing preventive and curative care  through a 6X6X6 strategy
    • The 6X6X6 strategy: It includes  six target beneficiaries, six interventions and six institutional mechanisms for all stakeholders.
  • Measures: 
    • Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation in all six target age groups
    • Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) Campaign: 
      • Improving  compliance to Iron Folic Acid supplementation and deworming
      • Enhancing  appropriate infant and young child feeding practices
      • Ensuring  delayed cord clamping after delivery (by 3 minutes) in health facilities
    • Testing and treatment: By using digital methods and point of care treatment, with special focus on pregnant women and school-going adolescents.
      • Management of severe anemia in pregnant women undertaken by administration of IV Iron Sucrose/Blood transfusion
    • Addressing non-nutritional causes: Special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis
    • Follow up: Providing incentives to the ANM for identification and follow-up of pregnant women with severe anaemia in high priority districts (HPDs)
  • Poshan 2.0: The goal is to tackle issues of  stunted growth, malnutrition, anaemia, and low birth weight through focusing on Nutritional security of pregnant women, new mothers, proper feeding for infants and young children, and treating malnourished kids.