80% children below 3 yrs are anaemic in Gujarat
Pulkit Vasudha
Ahmedabad, September 1: The findings of the third National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2005-06 has turned out to be an eye-opener for Community Food and Nutrition Extension Unit (CFNEU) of the Health and Family Welfare department of the state government.
The survey found that over 80 per cent children belonging to the age group of six months to three years are anaemic. Over 55 per cent children in the state are not fully immunised. More than 40 per cent children in urban areas are under nourished, of which, at least five per cent suffer from severe malnutrition. It also found that 55 per cent women belonging to the age group 15 to 49 years are anaemic.
Arvind Patel, technical assistant in CFNEU, who participated in the survey, said, “Anaemia can also be largely seen among pregnant women and lactating mothers.” According to the survey, over 60 per cent pregnant women are anaemic, leading to complications during birth and affecting the health of the newborn.
With such revelations, there is growing skepticism about the relevance of the National Nutritional Week, to be celebrated from September 1 to 7 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Meanwhile, about 35 workers of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), mostly working in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar districts, participated in a daylong workshop on “Nutrition Promotion for a Stronger Nation” at Gujarat Vidyapeeth on Saturday, wherein food and nutrition issues were discussed.
Dr Atul Trivedi, Assistant Professor of preventive and social medicine at the B J Medical College, a participant in the workshop, said, “Malnutrition is a silent emergency. It fails to generate the fervor it should. Ninety per cent of the brain’s development takes place in the first five years of a child’s life. At least 30 per cent children born in India have a low birth weight, which may create health problems later. Anganwadi workers are most accessible to a child and the mother, and hence, have an important role to play in the development of the child.”
Source: Indian Express