Odisha Launches Project AMLAN To Combat Anaemia

Bhubaneswar: To combat anaemia in the state, the Odisha government on Wednesday launched the Anaemia Mukta Lakhya Abhiyan (Amlan).

The project will be implemented at 55,000 government and government-aided schools, in addition to 74000 Anganwadis, by the departments of health and family welfare, school and mass education, women and child development, mission shakti, and ST and SC development.

Strengthening iron and folic acid supplementation among the targeted groups, testing for haemoglobin, treating anaemic patients, building the capacity of service providers, and social behaviour change through information, education, and communication activities are just a few of the major arbitrations planned.

CM Naveen Patnaik virtually launched the program and asserted that it will help around 1.37 crore people, including adolescents, children, pregnant women, lactating women, and women of reproductive age.

The CM described the endeavour as a big step and added, “It’s our own initiative to make the state free from anaemia, especially women and children.”

The Operational Guidelines for AMLAN were also made public by the CM.

More than 64% of children in the six to five-year age group in Odisha are anaemic, which is slightly better than the national average of 67.1%, according to the National Family Health Survey 5 (2019-2021). However, it is worse for women than it is for the general population. 64.3% of women in Odisha are anaemic, compared to 57% of women in the 15-to-49 age group in the nation.