Indore (Madhya Pradesh): About 72.7% of children in Madhya Pradesh suffer from anaemia, with over 54% of children in Indore district affected, including 0.4% who have severe anaemia, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5).
In response to this serious health issue, the second phase of the “Dastak Abhiyan” was launched, targeting anaemia and vitamin-A deficiency among children aged 9 months to 5 years. Anaemia in children leads to a range of health problems, including irritability, fatigue, frequent infections, and developmental delays.
Vitamin-A deficiency, which is also prevalent in the region, weakens the immune system, increases the risk of diseases like measles and diarrhoea, and can cause night blindness. The main causes of these deficiencies include poor maternal feeding practices and insufficient vitamin-A-rich foods in children’s diets. The second phase of the “Dastak Abhiyan” aims to provide vitamin-A supplementation and conduct follow-up anaemia tests for affected children.
The campaign was launched by regional director of Health Services Dr Shaji Joseph and chief medical and health officer Dr. BS. Saitya, who administered the first vitamin-A doses and flagged off field teams. District health officer Dr Sharad Gupta and other officials were also present during the launch.
