New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS): The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) on Tuesday said that anaemia will be a key area of focus during the ongoing 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah.

Anaemia -- a condition where the body lacks haemoglobin levels, affecting the body’s ability to carry oxygen -- is a significant health concern, mainly affecting young children, adolescent girls, pregnant, postpartum women, and women in the reproductive age in India.

According to the National Health Family Survey (NHFS-4), the prevalence of anaemia has risen to 57 per cent in 2019-2021 (NFHS-5) in comparison to 53 per cent in 2015-16.

As per NFHS-5, the prevalence of anaemia stood at 57.2 per cent -- higher in non-pregnant women than in pregnant women at 52.2 per cent.

“The period of adolescence is the right window of opportunity to correct any nutritional pitfalls in young adolescents to prevent intergenerational effects of Anaemia on future generations,” the Ministry said.

WCD Minister Annapurna Devi launched the 7th Rashtriya Poshan Maah 2024 on Saturday. As part of the Poshan Maah, the Ministry has undertaken various anaemia-related themes and activities.

In the last Poshan Maah, held in September 2023, more than 35 crore sensitisation activities were undertaken, of which around 4 crore were focused on anaemia, the ministry said.

In addition, it directly reached “out to 69 lakh pregnant women and 43 lakh lactating mothers”. The scheme currently encompasses more than 22 lakh adolescent girls (14-18 years) under the scheme for adolescent girls across aspirational districts and NE Region.

“Engagement of adolescent girls has all the potential to provide additional velocity required to create malnutrition-free India,” the ministry said.

Meanwhile, in February, the WCD ministry in coordination with the Ministry of Ayush launched an initiative for the management of anaemia and to improve the nutritional status of adolescent girls (aged 14-18 years) in five Utkarsh Districts through evidence-based Ayurveda interventions.