Ayush Ministry and Ministry of Women & Child Development Collaborate to Combat Anaemia in Adolescent Girls
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 27th Feb. In a significant joint effort aimed at addressing anaemia among adolescent girls, the Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Women and Child Development have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement, titled “Anaemia Control among Adolescent Girls using Ayurveda Interventions in the Five Districts under Mission Utkarsh,” was formalized on Monday at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
The signing ceremony, graced by Union Minister of Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal and Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smt. Smriti Irani, marks a pivotal step towards enhancing the nutritional well-being of adolescent girls in targeted regions.
Under the MoU, the initiative will initially focus on addressing anaemia in five aspirational districts across India: Dhubri in Assam, Bastar in Chhattisgarh, Paschimi Singhbhum in Jharkhand, Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, and Dhaulpur in Rajasthan. Approximately 95,000 adolescent girls residing in these districts, where the average prevalence of anaemia is approximately 69.5%, will benefit from this collaborative effort.
Key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Women and Child Development, have underscored the importance of this initiative in achieving an ‘Anaemia Mukt Bharat’ (Anaemia Free India) and improving the overall health outcomes of adolescent girls.
During the event, Minister Sarbananda Sonowal reiterated the joint commitment of both ministries towards this noble cause. He emphasized the role of Mission Utkarsh in achieving key performance indicators in aspirational districts, furthering the government’s vision of holistic development.
Minister Smriti Irani highlighted the cost-effectiveness and global significance of integrating Ayush systems, backed by evidence from institutions like ICMR, into public health initiatives. This approach, she noted, would not only address anaemia but also offer opportunities for medical communities globally to study and adopt similar initiatives.
Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, emphasized the detrimental effects of anaemia on physical and mental health, stressing the need for traditional medicine to play a pivotal role in primary healthcare settings.
Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Shri Indewar Pandey, reiterated the ministry’s commitment to addressing malnutrition in adolescent girls, essential for ensuring their future well-being and that of their offspring.
The collaborative effort draws on the expertise of the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), which has successfully implemented similar initiatives in the past. Prof. Ravi Narayan Acharya, Director General of CCRAS, and other dignitaries were present at the event, symbolizing a united front in the fight against anaemia among adolescent girls through Ayurveda interventions.
