A group of healthcare experts, policy makers, jurists, and other stakeholders have called for stronger public health measures to combat anemia, especially among girl children, female adolescents, and women.
Summit Highlights Need for Nutritional Access
Held by city-based Human Social Care Foundation (HSCF), an NGO holding Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in collaboration with the University of Mumbai, the recent summit stressed the need to improve access to nutritious food for girl children, pregnant women, and mothers to curb the spread of anemia.
Alarming Statistics from NFHS-5
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), nearly 57% of women aged 15–49 years in India are affected by anemia, said the Foundation's president Faizan A. Azizi.
Our female population is vulnerable to anemia due to various reasons like poor nutritious food for the female child, blood flow during periods, and lack of supplementary food for pregnant women. This can be cured through making supplementary food available and creating awareness, said Dr. Sudeshna Ray, additional director of obstetrics and gynecology at Jaslok Hospital.
Anemia: A Solvable Problem
Dr. Ray added that anemia is one of the easily solvable problems provided policy makers and health experts join hands to combat it.
