‘Poshan Maah’ for proper nutrition to children

Hyderabad: To ensure availability of proper nutrition and growth opportunities to children and adolescents during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the State health authorities are implementing ‘Poshan Maah-2020’ and deworming initiatives in the months of September and October. As part of the ‘Poshan Maah-2020’, the field level workers including Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANMs) are taking up door-to-door delivery of Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplements for children and adolescents aged between six months and 19 years.

The IFA supplements are vital to address the challenge of poor nutrition and anaemia which can impact physical and mental development of children and adolescents. As part of the initiative, the field level healthcare workers in the State will distribute IFA tablets weekly following Covid-19 safety guidelines.

Children between six months and 59 months are administered with IFA supplement in the form of syrup twice a week. For children aged between six years and 19 years, one IFA tablet is provided every week across all the districts including urban slum settlements in Hyderabad.

Apart from ‘Poshan Maah-2020’, the health officials are also set to launch a deworming initiative between October 5 and 12. The deworming and ‘Poshan Maah’ are aimed at improving immunity, increasing nutritional uptake and control anaemia, reducing worm infestations in the community, improving concentration and attendance at schools and Anganwadi and improving work potential and livelihood opportunities.

Deworming with the safe and beneficial Albendazole 400 mg tablets is an effective solution to control worm infections. The health officials are targeting close to 1 crore children and adolescents aged up to 19 years in Telangana State.

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