Centre Boosts Schemes to Achieve 'Anaemia Mukt Bharat'

New Delhi: In a major push towards achieving the goal of ‘Anaemia Mukt Bharat’ (AMB), the Centre has fully scaled up the rice fortification initiative across all states and union territories. As of March 2024, all custom-milled rice supplied through government schemes has been replaced with fortified rice, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Fortified rice, enriched with key micronutrients such as iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, is now being distributed through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and other welfare schemes. This move is aimed at tackling widespread micronutrient deficiencies, especially among vulnerable groups such as children and women, including pregnant and lactating mothers.

To support this initiative, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified 57 laboratories for fortified rice, 35 for fortified rice kernels, and 15 for premix used in rice fortification. The effort aligns with the government’s six-pronged intervention strategy under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat campaign, which takes a lifecycle approach to reduce anaemia prevalence across age groups.

The National Health Mission (NHM) continues to play a central role in this strategy, with states receiving funding based on their Annual Programme Implementation Plans (APIPs). For the financial year 2024–25, a total allocation of ₹805.91 crore has been made to help states and union territories implement AMB-related activities.

While iron deficiency has traditionally been considered the primary cause of anaemia, health experts now point to other emerging contributors, such as vitamin B12 deficiency and air pollution. Anaemia occurs when the body lacks sufficient haemoglobin to transport oxygen to tissues and organs, resulting in fatigue, weakness, and in severe cases, developmental delays in children.

The government's comprehensive approach seeks to reduce the health burden of anaemia, a condition that continues to affect a large portion of the population, particularly women and children, despite ongoing efforts.