Anantapur: 60% of girls in government schools FOUND anaemic

Anantapur/Puttaparthi : Pregnant women and adolescent girls in government and residential schools including SC, ST, Gurukul, KGBV and BC hostels are found anaemic. The anaemic conditions range from 10 per cent to 50 per cent in different schools, according to the official records of clinical examination for 3 to 4 consecutive months in schools and Anganwadi centres.

The official figures reveal that 60 per cent of girls in government schools were tested anaemic. It is 72 per cent in SC, ST, BC and Minorities hostels while it is more than 50 per cent in Girijan Gurukul hostels and Minority hostels. The least percentage of 10 and 11 was found in BC and government Gurukul schools. In Girijan welfare hostels, it is more than 25 per cent.

Coming to the position of pregnant mothers in Anganwadis in December 2022, more than 30 per cent of these women were tested anaemic out of the 20,000 plus tested. In January, it is 20 per cent of the 18,000 tested and 16 per cent of the 14,000 odd women, who were tested in March.

There are varied reasons for this situation. PHC doctors said that many rural women don't take the iron tablets and others supplied by the government, who thinks that they wont work. Another major problem is negligence on the part of the people, as observed by many doctors.

Some pregnant women revealed that someone else in their family is consuming the tablets. There are allegations that the personnel of Anganwadi centres are diverting eggs, milk and nutrition kits, meant to supply to children and pregnant women.

After conducting tests for girls aged between 13-19 years in nearly 1,300 schools, it was found out that 36,000 girls out of the 58,000 were anaemic, which is more than 60 per cent. In KGBV Schools, 35 per cent of girls are anaemic. This problem is persistent among day scholars also.

Speaking with The Hans India, Social activist and ex-MLC Dr Geyanand observed that child marriages and child pregnancies, imbalanced diet, junk food could be some of the reasons for this anaemic problem. People do not believe tablets supplied by the government, he added.

ICDS Project Director BN Sridevi, referring the low haemoglobin levels among pregnant women and girls, said neglecting consuming iron tablets could be one reason. She said that they were analysing the problem and will take steps to ensure that women will consume the tablets in the presence of Anganwadi workers.