Healthy Future: Tackling Anaemia in Tamil Nadu

Summary

Women in our society are often burdened with all the household chores, expected to care for their partners, children and family members. The continuous, 24/7 responsibility is typically tedious and exhausting. Additionally, it is well documented that women’s nutrition intake is often inadequate due to inherent bias and inaccessibility, especially in impoverished households with limited resources. Generally, women’s health and nutrition are not prioritized. In India, this issue manifests as a high probability of Anaemia in women and adolescent girls. Anaemia, is a condition where one lacks enough healthy red blood cells to carry sufficient oxygen to body tissues, which can cause fatigue, skin pallor, shortness of breath, dizziness or a fast heartbeat. India has one of the highest Anaemia prevalence rates in the world, with 53% of women aged 15 to 49 affected. Anaemia in women also impacts the health and nutrition of children often worsening during pregnancy. In Tamil Nadu, specifically, 53.4% of women aged around 15-49 years and 57.4 % of children 6-59 months of age are reported to be Anaemic according to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2020-21).

INDIAdonates with its on-ground partner ASSCOD is working towards reducing and preventing anaemia amongst women, especially pregnant women and lactating mothers as well as their children, in Chengalpattu village in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu. Through this campaign, 160 women and 80 children from resource-poor families with low haemoglobin levels (haemoglobin less than 7) will receive support for one year.

• Women and their children will be taken to the hospital for regular haemoglobin tests
• Nutritional kits will be provided to the pregnant women, mothers and their children
• Awareness activities will be conducted with family members and larger community on nutritional food practices

Let us come together and gift these women and their children a healthy life.