Begin typing your search...
Poor nutrition, hygiene reponsible for high anaemia rate in rural Tamil Nadu
Despite several health schemes implemented in the state to check the spread of the condition, doctors claim that people in rural areas, especially women, continue to suffer from it
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Excessive consumption of coffee and tea with white sugar, insufficient intake of green vegetables and exceptionally poor nutritional habits are among the factors responsible for the high rate of anaemia in the state, especially among women.
Despite a large number of schemes available in Tamil Nadu for the benefit of anaemic women alone, data from the National Family Health Survey (201516) found that the state had recorded an increase. Interestingly, Tamil Nadu performs exceptionally well among other states in the country when it came to the number of women suffering from the condition.
According to the survey, cases of anaemia had increased from 53.2 per cent in 2005-06 to 55 per cent in 2015-16. Stressing that even though anaemia is a major public health problem, it does not get the attention it deserves, a health official said that it was identified by the World Health Organisation as one of the top 10 risks for infant mortality, maternal mortality and pre-term birth.
“Anaemia is common among adolescents. But, as they grow up, they become more resilient to the condition,” said the official. He, however, added that now, the condition is more prevalent among vulnerable groups.
“Prevention of anaemia is effective when the strategy is focuses right from adolescence for their future reproductive life and this will also contribute to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDG),” the official said. Director of department of public health, Dr K Kolandaisamy, said that a number of schemes, such as de-worming of pregnant women twice a year, are being implemented in the state.
“We are focussing on a number of programmes to check the spread of the condition. The state government is conducting the National Anaemia Control Programme and is stressing to ensure that sanitation practices are improved in rural areas,” said Kolandaisamy.
The official added that poor hygiene and sanitary practices is one of the main reasons for the spread of the condition in rural Tamil Nadu and therefore, the rural development department has been promoting the cleanliness in sanitation seriously.
“We have been distributing nutrition kits for pregnant mothers in all the vulnerable areas. This is being carried out by nurses both in the district headquarter hospitals as well as in the city government hospitals,” said Kolandaisamy.
He added, “Our programme continues to create awareness on improving the nutritional habits. We also distribute nutrition drinks as well. But, despite such initiatives being taken up, the food habits and lifestyle conditions of the public continue to be extremely poor.”
Stressing on the increase in the consumption of coffee and tea among the people today, nutritionist Cynthia F said, “Drinking excessive tea and coffee, and consuming too much white sugar, tend to reduce iron content in the body.” The Institute for Obstetrics and Gynaecologists (IOG) in Egmore, being a referral hospital, gets a number of cases of pregnant women with anaemia.
“Other hospitals that get cases of anaemic women, refer them here. Therefore, we pay great attention to nutritional education. We administer iron sucrose injections provide by the state government at a calculated dose,” Dr Shaanthy Gunasingh, director of the institute.
She added, “What we have learnt over the years of seeing such cases is that these women tend to ignore the advice of doctors in Primary Health Centres before they are referred here. It is during the educational programmes that they tend to realise the seriousness.”
Besides, anaemia among children too is surprisingly high. Even though the world’s adolescent population (between the ages 10 and 19 years) is estimated to stand at more than one billion, adolescents continue to remain largely neglected and are often ignored.
Adolescence marks a significant period of human growth and maturation, when unique changes occur, Gunasingh said. “Increased nutritional needs at this juncture relate to the fact that adolescents see a growth in their weight, height and skeletal mass during this period. Their iron needs are high, especially in the case of adolescent girls because of the increased requirements for expansion of blood volume associated with the adolescent growth spurt and the onset of menstruation,” she concluded.
NUMBERS ON THE RISE
- The percentage of anaemic women in the state had increased from 53.2 per cent in 2005-06 to 55 per cent in 2015-16, according to the National Family Health Survey
- The World Health Organisation has named anemia as one of the top 10 risks for infant mortality, maternal mortality and pre-term birth
SCHEMES IN THE STATE
- De-worming of pregnant women twice a year
- The distribution of nutrition kits for pregnant mothers in all areas, which is being carried out by nurses both in the district headquarter hospitals as well as in the city government hospitals
- A programme to create awareness on improving the nutritional habits
- Distribution of nutrition drinks
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android
Next Story
