GS Paper II

News Excerpt:

Recently, the Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Women and Child Development have signed a MoU for the nutritional improvement in adolescent girls through Ayurveda Interventions.

About the Project:

• It is a Joint Public Health Initiative for “Anaemia Control among adolescent girls using Ayurveda interventions in the five districts under Mission Utkarsh”.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of the Union Minister of Ayush and the Union Minister of Women and Child Development.
• Both the Ministries have jointly decided that in the first phase, the focus may be given to improve the anaemic status of adolescent girls (14-18 years) in five aspirational districts of five states where average prevalence of anaemia is approximately 69.5 %, namely are:- 
• Assam – Dhubri
• Chhattisgarh - Bastar
• Jharkhand – Paschimi Singhbhum
• Maharashtra – Gadchiroli
• Rajasthan – Dhaulpur.
• This project will cover approximately 10,000 Anganwadi Centres in the five districts.

Steps Taken by Government to Eradicate Anaemia:

• GoI is closely working with WHO on various health issues including anaemia. 
• As per recently released National Family Health Survey-5 data, 52.2 percent pregnant women in the age group 15-49 years are estimated to be anaemic in the country.  
• In 2018, the Government of India launched the Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy with the target to reduce anaemia in women, children and adolescents in life cycle approach.

About Anaemia:

• Anaemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or the haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal. It mainly affects women and children.
• Anaemia occurs when there isn’t enough haemoglobin in the body to carry oxygen to the organs and tissues.
• In severe cases, anaemia can cause poor cognitive and motor development in children. 
• Anaemia can be caused by poor nutrition, infections, chronic diseases, heavy menstruation, pregnancy issues and family history. 
• It is often caused by a lack of iron in the blood.
• Anaemia is preventable and treatable. 
• In many low- and lower-middle income settings, the most commonly- recognized causes of anaemia are iron deficiency and malaria.

Current status of the Anaemia in the world and India:

• The population groups most vulnerable to anaemia include children under 5 years of age, particularly infants and children under 2 years of age, menstruating adolescent girls and women, and pregnant and postpartum women.

• Anaemia is estimated to affect half a billion women 15–49 years of age and 269 million children 6–59 months of age worldwide. 
• In 2019, 30% (539 million) of non-pregnant women and 37% (32 million) of pregnant women aged 15–49 years were affected by anaemia.  

• The WHO Regions of Africa and South-East Asia are most affected with an estimated 106 million women and 103 million children affected by anaemia in Africa and 244 million women and 83 million children affected in South-East Asia.
• In India more than 15 states belong to the high prevalence (>%55) of anemia among socially backward groups in 2019–21. 
• The anemia prevalence was high (>55%) in all social groups (SC & ST, OBC, general) observed in 7 states in NFHS-3, 4 in NFHS-4 and 11 states in NFHS-5. 
• The overall result reveals that the SC&ST women were more prone to any anemia than OBC and general women and the prevalence rate slightly increased from 2005–06 to 2019–21.
• The odds of women having anemia were lower among higher educated and urban women as compared to the non educated and rural women, irrespective of social group. 
• The prevalence of anemia decreases with increased age of women and increases with the number of child bearing.

Signs and symptoms of anaemia:

• Anaemia causes symptoms such as fatigue, reduced physical work capacity, and shortness of breath. Anaemia is an indicator of poor nutrition and other health problems.
• Common and non-specific symptoms of anaemia include:
• tiredness
• dizziness or feeling light-headed
• cold hands and feet
• headache
• shortness of breath, especially upon exertion.

• Severe anaemia can cause more serious symptoms including:
• pale mucous membranes (in the mouth, nose etc.)
• pale skin and under the fingernails
• rapid breathing and heart rate
• dizziness when standing up
• bruising more easily.

Main Causes of Anaemia:

• Anaemia is diagnosed based on blood haemoglobin concentrations falling below specified thresholds established based on age, sex, and physiological status. 
• Anaemia may be caused by several factors: nutrient deficiencies, inadequate diet (or the inadequate absorption of nutrients), infections, inflammation, chronic diseases, gynaecological and obstetric conditions, and inherited red blood cell disorders.
• Iron deficiency, primarily due to inadequate dietary iron intake, is considered the most common nutritional deficiency leading to anaemia. 
• Deficiencies in vitamin A, folate, vitamin B12 and riboflavin can also result in anaemia due to their specific roles in the synthesis of haemoglobin and/or erythrocyte production. 
• Additional mechanisms include nutrient losses (e.g. blood loss from parasitic infections, haemorrhage associated with childbirth, or menstrual loss), impaired absorption, low iron stores at birth, and nutrient interactions affecting iron bioavailability.
• Consistent heavy menstrual losses, maternal blood volume expansion during pregnancy, and blood loss during and after childbirth, particularly in cases of postpartum haemorrhage, commonly lead to anaemia.

Treatment and prevention:

• The treatment and prevention of anaemia depend on the underlying cause of the condition. There are many effective ways to treat and prevent anaemia.
• Changes in diet can help reduce anaemia in some cases, including:
• eating foods that are rich in iron, folate, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and other nutrients
• eating a healthy diet with a variety of foods
• taking supplements if a qualified health-care provider recommends them.

• Other ways to prevent anaemia:
• prevent and treat malaria
• prevent and treat schistosomiasis and other infections caused by soil-transmitted helminths (parasitic worms)
• get vaccinated and practice good hygiene to prevent infections
• manage chronic diseases like obesity and digestive problems
• wait at least 24 months between pregnancies and use birth control to prevent unintended pregnancies
• prevent and treat heavy menstrual bleeding and haemorrhage before or after birth
• delay umbilical cord clamping after childbirth (not earlier than 1 minute)
• treat inherited red blood cell disorders like sickle-cell disease and thalassemia.

Impact of Anaemia:

• It can affect school performance.
• Through developmental delays and behavioural disturbances such as decreased motor activity, social interaction and attention to tasks.
• It can severely impact productivity in adult life and overall quality of life in general.  
• During pregnancy, anaemia has been associated with poor maternal and birth outcomes, including premature birth, low birth weight and maternal mortality. 
• In addition to the health consequences, anaemia can have important financial impacts for individuals, families, communities and countries.

Conclusion:

The joint initiative by the Ministries of Ayush and Women and Child Development to combat anaemia among adolescent girls using Ayurveda interventions is a crucial step towards addressing this pervasive health issue. Effective management of anaemia not only improves individual health but also has broader socio-economic implications, highlighting the need for comprehensive strategies to eradicate anaemia from our country.

Q: Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission'?            (UPSC 2017)

1. To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
2. To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
3. To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
4. To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1, 2 and 3 only
3. 1, 2 and 4 only
4. 3 and 4 only