Special drive against anemia continues in Karimnagar

Launched with the aim of making Karimnagar free of anemia, the district administration's special drive ‘Anemia Mukht Karimnagar’ has started yielding results.

Karimnagar: Launched with the aim of making Karimnagar free of anemia, the district administration’s special drive ‘Anemia Mukht Karimnagar’ has started yielding results.

Based on instructions by Collector RV Karnan, Health, Medical and Family Welfare department officials had launched the drive in June last year by giving special training to 750 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers and Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives (ANM).

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Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, District Medical and Health Officer Dr Juveria said a majority of the women who were tested as part of the drive, were found to be suffering from anemia due to lack of awareness about taking nutritious food. Besides providing treatment, women were also being educated on the importance of having nutritious food to increase their hemoglobin levels and maintaining good health.

Stating that it was a continuous process, the DMHO said a majority of the women had overcome the issue after getting treatment. As part of the drive, all women aged between 14 to 55 years of age were undergoing hemoglobin tests at special camps in rural areas as well as towns. Anemic women were being provided treatments by dividing them into three categories including severe anemic (below 7 gram per decilitre (g/dl)of hemoglobin), medium (8-10 g/dl) and mild (10-12 g/dl of hemoglobin), she said.

Out of 2.3 lakh tests done so far, 1,96,792 women were found suffering from anemia. While 595 ladies were facing severe anemia, 1.4 lakh women were found to be in the medium category, while the issue was of mild nature for 55,801 women. Besides iron tablets, injections were being given to the severely anemic women. Others were being provided tablets. with 1,895 women overcoming the issue after treatment.

In order to upload details of women suffering from anemia and to educate them on tackling the condition, the district administration has also developed a mobile app, ‘A-Shield’. Doctors, ANMs, ASHA workers and other Health and Medical department officials are using the app with women too being told how to use the app.