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Campaign to combat anaemia among teenagers launched

Published

9 years ago

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anemiaNew Delhi: Health Minister J.P. Nadda, along with Bollywood actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra, launched the nationwide Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplement (WISF) awareness campaign here.

Through this initiative, launched on Wednesday, at least 11.2 crore adolescents across the country would be given iron and folic acid supplements to reduce nutritional anaemia.

Nadda said that a nationwide campaign is the need of the hour as “accessibility is not the problem, awareness is”.

“We have to make India aware about the issue, resources are not a problem. It is a step to make young India healthy India,” he said.

The minister also said: “People start comparing countries and say that India is not up to the mark but that is wrong. We should compare India to equivalent countries. India is a country that cannot be compared as it has own strengths and weaknesses.”

Priyanka Chopra also lent her voice to a video clip made for taking the message about the benefits of the tablet forward. The actress said that she feels fortunate to be a part of a campaign for the next generation.

The programme will reach adolescents through schools and anganwadi centers on a fixed day of the week. Biannual de-worming for control of worm infestation, information and counselling to improve their dietary intake and screening for moderate and severe anaemia will also undertaken in the programme.

Realising that pills tend to repel children, the health ministry is also mulling various options of providing food supplements in place of tablets.

As the campaign focusses on young India, the event saw a teenager Kajal, who is associated with an NGO working towards the same goal, list out her favourite dishes and she also narrated how she lost her younger sister due to the lack of care at the right time.

Talking about future plans, Nadda said: “We are taking help of digital India as well. Soon, message in regional languages will come on mobile phones asking about the medicines.”

UNICEF representative to India Louis Georges Arsenault also attended the programme.

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Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

Published

3 years ago

on

May 4, 2022

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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