Hyderabad: In a major initiative aimed at improving the nutritional status of pregnant women and reduce anaemia prevalence among them, the Telangana government on Monday announced the expansion of the KCR Nutrition Kit initiative in all 33 districts of the State.
The Telangana government already issued a Government Order to implement the KCR Nutritional Kits scheme, which was earlier launched in nine districts. To this effect, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao also signed a file during the inauguration of the new Secretariat.
The KCR Nutritional Kits was launched on December 21, 2022, in nine districts including Adilabad, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mulugu, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Vikarabad, Nagarkurnool, Kamareddy and Gadwal, where the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women was more than the state average of 53 percent.
With the expansion of the scheme, the State Health Department will distribute a total of 13.08 lakh kits through 1,046 centres to 6.84 lakh pregnant women in 33 districts across the State. Each kit is worth Rs 2,000 and the total estimated cost for the entire initiative is Rs 277 crore.
The KCR Nutritional Kit includes 1kg nutrition mix powder, 1kg dates, 3 bottles iron syrup,500 gm ghee, a cup, 200 gm Palli patti (Peanut Chikki), and a plastic basket. Health Minister T Harish Rao thanked the Chief Minister for green-lighting the nutritional kit initiative across Telangana.
“KCR kits for newborn babies, nutrition kits for mothers, along with four ANC checkups, Amma Oddi Vehicles, and the establishment of Mata Shishu Care Centers, will help further protect the maternal health care system in the State,” Harish Rao said in a press release.