This piece originally ran in Times of India.
Lucknow: The state health and family welfare department will screen girls in the 10-19 years’ age group for anaemia so that corrective measures may be initiated.
The fact came to fore at a dialogue on health organised by the state health department in association with Centre for Advocacy and Research and Population Services International at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences here on the eve of World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Mission director, national health mission UP, Pinky Jowel said: “The department is going to start blood testing of girls aged between 10 and 19 so that anaemic girls can be identified and treated.”
General manager, national adolescent health programme, UP, Dr Manoj Shukul said: “The state is committed to act against anaemia under the flagship programme of Anaemia Mukt Bharat. The prevention of anaemia is dealth under the Rashtriya Kishore Swastha Karyakram under which iron supplementation is provided. Now, screening of anaemia would be done through the Rashtriya Bal Swastha Karyakram network,”
Jowel said: “Body care during menstruation is an essential part of fundamental freedom. The department is making constant efforts to increase awareness among adolescent girls and ensure access of sanitary pads to them.”
As per the National Family Health Survey -5, over 27% girls in the 15 to 24 years’ age group in UP did not use safe products during menstruation. Dr Shukla said govt has taken various initiatives which include strengthening of Sathiya Kendras, Peer Education Programme, observation of Adolescent Health Day, weekly supply of Iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablets and Kishori Suraksha Yojana to promote menstrual hygiene.
Read the full article here.