Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplement (WIFS) programme for anaemia prevention in adolescents of age group 10-19 years, organised by Women and Child Development Department of State Government, has commenced in Chhattisgarh from Monday.
Under this programme, all school going children of this age group will be given the dose of Iron Folic Acid (IFA) every Tuesday in their schools, while other girls of this age group will be given IFA dose every Saturday at Aanganbadi centers.
Officials of Women and Child Development Department informed that under WIFS programme, the adolescent girls and boys will be given regular dose of IFA, and dose of Albendazole twice a year- on first Saturday of the months of August and February at schools and Aanganbadis. The target
group includes the students of standard 6th-12th in Municipal, Government and Government funded schools. Besides, the school-going and other adolescent girls along with those married girls of 19 years, who are not pregnant, have also been included under this programme.
Chief Minister Raman Singh and Women and Child Development Minister lata Ussendi has appealed the parents of adolescent girls and boys to motivate their children for regular dose of IFA and thereby contribute in building a healthy and strong society.
Chief Minister Singh said that the regular dose of IFA to adolescent girls and boys of State will prepare a healthy generation that will contribute in increasing the productivity of State, whereas as the anaemia prevention in girls will make them healthy mothers in future and form a healthy society. This programme will prove to be an important step towards achievement of millennium goals in Chhattisgarh.