High aemia prevalence a big challenge to Aruchal: Report

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITAGAR, Aug 13: The prevalence of aemia continues to be a big challenge in Aruchal Pradesh according to India Health Report (IHR) statistics which show that 63.9 percent of under-five children including 56.7 percent of all women aged 15-49 years are aemic in the state.

Aemia prevalence among pregnt women in Aruchal is even higher at 61.8 percent and during pregncy only 27.7 percent of women are reported consuming 100 IFA supplementation. This was informed by Meghalaya’s additiol chief secretary Yeshi Tsering during a state level consultation on accelerating progress towards good nutrition for all at Shillong on August 9 last.

“There has been a major decline in prevalence of stunting among children under-five years in Aruchal Pradesh,” said Yeshi Tsering, in an official release here today.

The state has achieved the largest decline in child stunting rate among Indian states during the period between tiol Family Health Survey-3, 2005-06 and Rapid Survey on Children conducted during 2013-14, he added.

According to him, Aruchal Pradesh has bettered the tiol average on infant and young children feeding practices, such as complementary feeding and dietary diversity.

The state has also second highest rates of open defecation (31.7 percent) in northeast after Assam (37.5 percent). The IHR cites, ‘open defecation and idequate hand washing as reasons for poor health in children, leading to malnourishment’. Tsering emphasized on the importance of focusing on holistic action towards quality care and services in the states.

“There is a need to look at food habits in rural areas and create awareness on importance of nutritious food, healthy lifestyle, education for women and girls, water, sanitation and hygiene practices,” Tsering said who, on the occasion also released a data specific report on Meghalaya’s nutritiol indicators called ‘The Meghalaya dashboard’.