Fifty eight per cent of women in Chhattisgarh have anaemia according to a Press release issued by Tata Chemicals ltd here on Friday.
“This includes 40% with mild anaemia, 16% with moderate anaemia, and 2% with severe anaemia,” it stated.
Pregnant women are more likely to be anaemic (64%) than women who are neither pregnant nor breastfeeding (57%). More than one-quarter of men (27%) in Chhattisgarh are anaemic, with men under 20 and over 39 more likely to suffer from anaemia than men in other age groups. it stated
The press release referring to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3) stated that among children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, the great majority (71%) are anaemic. This includes 24% who are mildly anemic, 45% who are moderately anemic, and 2% who suffer from severe anaemia.
Incidentally, the company brought out the statistics during the launch of India’s first national brand of packaged Iron-Fortified Iodized Salt, Tata Salt Plus in Chhattisgarh.
“Iron deficiency is commonly known as the biggest cause of anaemia. Prevalence of anaemia in India is high because of low dietary intake and especially poor availability of iron. To counter this, the Double Fortified Salt formulation has been developed by the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, after more than two decades of research and studies,” it stated.
Speaking on the launch, Richa Arora, COO– Consumer Products Business, Tata Chemicals, said, “Tata Salt Plus – with Iron & Iodine is the very embodiment of our company’s vision of serving society through science. We introduced branded iodised salt in India more than 3 decades back, helping the country in addressing iodine deficiency disorders. By launching Tata Salt Plus, we aim to offer a solution to the consumers that will help them meet the established daily iron and iodine requirements”
Speaking on the launch, Dr M. Raghunath, and Head of Endocrinology & Metabolism Division, National Institute of Nutrition said, “Iron deficiency and iodine deficiency are the ‘double burden’ of the society, which pose serious risks to public health retarding the development of the country today. Fortification of commonly consumed food item such as salt has been proved to be the most practical solution to prevent and control iodine deficiency disorders and iron deficiency anaemia.