As per a survey, around 58 per cent of pregnant women are anaemic in the country while the prevalence of the deficiency is greater in rural women than their urban counterparts, the Government today said.
"As reported by the National Family Planning Health Survey III - 2005-06, 55.3 per cent of all women in age group of 15-49 years, 56.2 per cent of married women and 58.7 per cent of pregnant women are anaemic in the country.
"The prevalence is greater in rural women (57.4 per cent) than in urban women (50.9 per cent). Further 35.6 per cent women in the age group of 15-49 years are having chronic energy deficiency i.E body mass index below 18.5 per cent," Health Minister J P Nadda told Lok Sabha.
The Minister said that the treatment of nutritional anaemia among pregnant women is an "important" intervention under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the Reproductive and Child Health Programme.
While elaborating about the steps taken to tackle anaemia, Nadda said that universal screening of pregnant women for anaemia is a part of ante-natal care and all pregnant women are provided iron and folic acid tablets during their ante-natal visits through the existing network of sub-centers and primary health centres.
He said that the Centre has given directions to the states for identification and tracking of severely anaemic cases at all the sub centres and PHCs while Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) and Insecticide Treated Bed Nets (ITBNs) are being distributed in endemic areas to tackle anemia due to malaria in pregnant women.
Nadda said that 184 High Priority Districts (HPDs) have been identified and prioritized for Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health+ Adolescent (RMNCH+A) interventions for achieving improved maternal and child health outcomes.
He added that safe motherhood booklet is being distributed to the pregnant women for educating them on dietary diversification.
