The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD), in partnership with the Ministry of AYUSH, has launched a special initiative to combat anaemia and improve nutrition among adolescent girls in five designated ‘Utkarsh Districts’ as part of the September ‘Poshan Maah’ campaign.
According to a PTI report, the initiative incorporates evidence-based Ayurveda interventions, including Ayurvedic treatments like ‘drakshavleh’ and ‘punarnavamandoor,’ aimed at improving the health and well-being of girls aged 14-18, the ministry announced. The selected districts include Dhubri (Assam), Bastar (Chhattisgarh), Paschimi Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), and Dhoulpur (Rajasthan).
Anaemia, a persistent public health issue, is a major focus of this year’s ‘Rashtriya Poshan Maah’—a nationwide nutrition awareness campaign led by the WCD Ministry. Anaemia primarily affects young children, adolescent girls, pregnant women, postpartum women, and those in their reproductive years, making it a crucial target of the 2024 campaign, according to the PTI report.
As reported by medicaldialogues.in, the statement emphasized that adolescence is a key period to address nutritional deficiencies, helping prevent the intergenerational impact of anaemia on future generations. The WCD Ministry, in collaboration with other ministries and departments, is prioritizing activities focused on anaemia awareness and intervention.
As part of this effort, the WCD Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH, is implementing a special initiative to address anaemia and improve nutrition in adolescent girls across the five Utkarsh Districts. This campaign complements the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s ‘Anaemia Mukt Bharat’ programme, further aiming to empower adolescent girls and contribute to a malnutrition-free India.