Introduction and Overview:

- 'Mission Utkarsh' is a strategic initiative taken by the Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Women and Child Development to combat the widespread issue of anaemia in Indian women and children, particularly in adolescent girls.

- This mission emphasises facilitating the nutrition of susceptible individuals using Ayurveda interventions.

Understanding Anaemia:

- Anaemia is a critical health condition that refers to a deficient count of red blood cells or an inadequate oxygen-carrying capacity in an individual's body.

- Widespread causes of the condition include iron deficiency, vitamin A, B12, and folate deficiencies, chronic inflammation, parasitic infections as well as inherited disorders.

- Anaemia can lead to severe symptoms like fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and drowsiness. It poses significant threats to pregnant women and children.

Anaemia Prevalence in India:

- As per the National Family Health Survey 2019-20, anaemia is a prevalent health issue among Indian women and children.

- The survey profiled 22 states and Union Territories, revealing a majority of women and children suffering from this ailment in over half of these regions.

- World Health Organization (WHO) criteria categorise women of reproductive age with haemoglobin levels below 12g/dL and children under five with levels under 11.0 g/dL as anaemic.

Mission Utkarsh - A Closer Look:

- Mission Utkarsh has 15 central ministries or departments collaboratively working to elevate the most affected districts up to the state and national averages.

- The initial phase emphasises the amelioration of adolescent girls' anaemic status (14-18 years) in five identified districts across five states - Assam (Dhubri), Chhattisgarh (Bastar), Jharkhand (Paschimi Singhbhum), Maharashtra (Gadchiroli), and Rajasthan (Dhaulpur).

- The primary intention is to work towards realising "Anaemia Mukt Bharat" or Anaemia Free India.

Government Measures Against Anaemia:

- The responsibility of strengthening health services and executing national programs substantially falls on respective State/UT governments, with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare providing financial and technical support under the National Health Mission.

- The Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) Programme is being implemented to manage high prevalence and incidence of anaemia amongst adolescent girls and boys.

- Under WIGS, supervised weekly ingestion of Iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablets has been introduced. Biannual deworming with Albendazole is also provided.

- The Government has established systems like the Health Management Information System & Mother Child Tracking System for reporting and tracking anaemic cases.

- The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) directs specialised ANC check-ups on the 9th of every month to detect and treat anaemia cases.

- To manage severe anaemia complications, initiatives for operationalizing Blood Bank in District Hospitals and Blood Storage Units in sub-district facilities are in place.