Union government is set to unveil its Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) programme from Karnataka on July 17, 2013. The tables are manufactured by HLL Lifecare Limited and sourced by the government through an annual tender process.

The programme under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) will involve 34 lakh children from 30 districts. The Centre has allocated Rs. 9 crore to the state’s health and family welfare department for the programme which is also to be implemented across the country immediately. It is estimated that over 56 per cent of the adolescent girls and 30 per cent of the boys in the same age group of 10 to 19 years are anaemic in India.

The programme is an effort to control lack of nutritional anaemia among children, adolescent girls and pregnant women. The iron and folic acid supplementation in the form of capsules with enteric coating barrier applied to oral medication that controls the location in the digestive system where it is absorbed to avoid diarrhoea and vomiting will be supplied to children across the country.

The Union government’s initiative to control anaemia comes in with the report of National Health and Family Welfare Survey III and the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau study which has reported the  prevalence of anaemia among adolescents with a haemoglobin value of  under 12 grams percentage in girls and haemoglobin value of under 13 grams percentage in boys. Anaemia is seen a serious public issue as around 74 per cent of the population have their haemoglobin level less than the normal level.

This programme will cover approximately 13 crore recipient and will address the challenge of high prevalence and incidence of anaemia amongst adolescent girls and boys, said Union health minister Gulam Nabi Azad. The minister will launch the programme in Karnataka on July 17, 2013 in the presence of the state chief minister Siddaramaiah, health and family welfare minister UT Khader.

The state directorate of Health and Family Welfare department under the WIFS programme,   providing the iron and folic acid capsules to girls and boys enrolled in Class VI to XII in government and government-aided schools and anganwadi centres. IFA supplements of 100 mg elemental iron and 500 microgram of folic acid will be given to children every Monday which the Union government has declared as the as ‘Anaemia Control day’ or ‘WIFS day’.

A physical instructor and a science teacher from each government and aided school across 31 districts along with anganwadi workers have been trained to implement the scheme to screen the target groups’ anaemia and refer them to the nearest public health facility.

Modalities of implementation include screening of adolescents for moderate and severe anaemia, besides referring them to an appropriate health facility. The programme also includes a component of de-worming every six months to control helminthic or worms infestation with albendazole tablet(400mg). Further, there is also information and counselling for improving dietary intake and for taking actions for prevention of intestinal worm infestation.

The national survey indicated that, Karnataka was reporting to have high poor anaemia levels. While children under five years accounted for 70 per cent of poor blood count, there was also  60.4 per cent estimated among pregnant women. Those in the reproductive age group  accounted for 52.2 per cent.

The programme is free of cost and iron, folic acid and de-worming tablets, along with testing and counselling services would be provided free, stated Karnataka minister for health and family welfare said the Karnataka health minister Khader.