Why in News?

• The anaemia control programme review indicated challenges in IFA supply chain management, demand generation and monitoring. Considering, the slow progress i.e. less than 1% per annum in reduction of anaemia from 2005 to 2015, the Government of India has launched the Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy under the Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment (POSHAN) Abhiyaan and the targets has been set to reduce anaemia by 3% per year.

Highlights:

• The 6x6x6 strategy under AMB implies six age groups, six interventions and six institutional mechanisms. The strategy focuses on ensuring supply chain, demand generation and strong monitoring using the dashboard for addressing anaemia, both due to nutritional and non-nutritional causes.

The Six Population Groups under AMB strategy are:

• Children (6-59 months)
• Children (5-9 years)
• Adolescents girls and boys (10-19 years)
• Pregnant women
• Lactating women
• Women of Reproductive Age (WRA) group (15-49 years)

The Six Interventions are:

• Prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation
• Deworming
• Intensified year-round Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) Campaign and delayed cord clamping
• Testing of anaemia using digital methods and point of care treatment,
• Mandatory provision of Iron and Folic Acid fortified foods in Government funded health programmes
• Addressing non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis and the six institutional mechanisms.

The Six Institutional Mechanisms are:

• Inter-ministerial coordination
• National Anaemia Mukt Bharat Unit
• National Centre of Excellence and Advanced research on Anemia Control
• Convergence with other ministries
• Strengthening supply chain and logistics
• Anaemia Mukt Bharat Dashboard and Digital Portal- one-stop shop for Anaemia.