New Delhi: Over 50 per cent of pregnant women in the country in the age group of 15 to 49 years are anaemic, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The statistics shared by the Minister of State (Mos) Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar has been taken from the National Family Health Survey-5. According to the data presented by the MoS, Jharkhand occupies the top spot among states with 62.6 per cent of pregnant women turning out to be anaemic, followed by Bihar (58.3 per cent) and Madhya Pradesh (54.6 per cent).
"However, the government has taken steps to improve the condition of anaemia among all identified groups in all States/UTs.Under the National Health Mission (NHM) the government provides financial and technical support to States/UTs for implementation of Anaemia Mukt Bharat Strategy as proposed by the States/UTs in their annual programme implementation plans," stated Dr Pawar.
The MoS in a written reply stated that the Union government has taken several initiatives to improve the health condition of pregnant women in the country. The steps include projects such as Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN), which provides assured, dignified, respectful and quality healthcare, free of cost. She further stated that under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), every pregnant woman is entitled to free delivery, including caesarean section, in public health institutions, along with the provision of free transport, diagnostics, medicines, other consumables and diet.
