A ready solution to tackle anaemia, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• Anaemia, primarily due to iron deficiency, remains a significant public health challenge in India, affecting over half of women and nearly three-fourths of children.
• The Government of India launched the 7x7x7 Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy to address the multifactorial nature of anaemia.
• Double Fortified Salt (DFS), fortified with both iodine and iron, is identified as a highly effective and underutilised preventive intervention.
• DFS leverages the existing Universal Salt Iodisation infrastructure and is consumed daily by nearly all households, ensuring population-scale delivery.
• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a standard for DFS, and its inclusion is mandated in PM POSHAN and Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).

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Detailed Insights:

• Anaemia contributes to maternal mortality, intergenerational malnutrition, impaired cognitive development, and significant economic losses.
• DFS offers a cost-effective solution, estimated at ₹14-₹20 per person annually, with a benefit-cost ratio of 4.2:1.
• Global and Indian evidence, including trials in Bengaluru, Darjeeling, and Punjab, confirm DFS reduces iron deficiency and is acceptable to consumers.
• Despite its benefits, wider adoption of DFS is hindered by institutional barriers rather than technical ones.
• Uneven integration into the Public Distribution System (PDS), which reaches 800 million beneficiaries, is a major challenge.
• Greater policy commitment, dedicated financing, stronger quality assurance, and consumer awareness are crucial for nationwide scale-up.
• DFS implementation should align with India’s sodium reduction goals and include screening for haemoglobinopathies.
• Scaling DFS nationally can accelerate progress towards Anaemia Mukt Bharat and contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB): A comprehensive strategy by the Government of India to reduce anaemia prevalence through a multi-pronged approach.
• Double Fortified Salt (DFS): Common salt fortified with both iodine and iron, designed to combat iodine deficiency disorders and iron deficiency anaemia.
• Universal Salt Iodisation: A public health program ensuring that all salt consumed by households is fortified with iodine to prevent iodine deficiency.
• Public Distribution System (PDS): An Indian food security system that distributes subsidized food and non-food items to India's poor.