In coastal Odisha, women and children turned more anemic in last six years

BHUBANESWAR,MAY 17: Anemia in women and children of Odisha has increased in last 6 years but worryingly, its incidence has seen an alarming rise in coastal districts, considered the most developed pocket of the State.A close analysis of the detailed report of National Family Health Survey (NHFS)-5 reveals that anemia perpetuated in 11 coastal districts while it has increased over most of Odisha as compared to NFHS-4.

As per the data maps generated by Geographic Insights, a Harvard University-based lab which compared NFHS 4 and 5 to find out health, nutrition, and population indicators, anemia among women was in the ‘extremely worsened’ category in Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Nayagarh, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Puri, Kendrapara and Ganjam districts.

In Cuttack, its incidence rose from 37.8 per cent in NHFS-4 to a massive 64.5 per cent in 2019-21 when NFHS-5 survey was carried out, clocking a 26.7 per cent jump.In Dhenkanal, the rise was from 39.4 per cent (NFHS-4) to 69.9 per cent (NFHS-5) reporting a 26.5 per cent rise. Jagatsinghpur (24%), Khurda (22.8%), Nayagarh (22.7%), Balasore (20.7%), Bhadrak (20.5%), Jajpur (20.1%), Puri (19%), Kendrapara (16.5%) and Ganjam (15.4 %) were other coastal districts that figured in the ‘extremely worsened’ bracket.

Angul, however, was at the top with an over 30 per cent jump recording a total 75 per cent anemia among women while Mayurbhanj and Deogarh stood second with 72.2 per cent, revealed the map by Geographic Insights which is an interdisciplinary research lab based at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies and the Harvard Center of Geographic Analysis within the Institute for Quantitative Social Science.

Similarly, anemia in children in districts like Bhadrak rose by 46% followed by Cuttack (44.9%), Khurda (37.1%), Jajpur (36.4%), Jagatsinghpur (34.8%), Kendrapara (32.8%), Nayagarh (28.7%), Ganjam (23.9%) and Puri (21.8 %) in last six years as these districts shot up to ‘extremely worsened’ bracket.

Among pregnant women too, anemia shot up and Jajpur, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Khurda, Nayagarh and Kendrapara – all coastal districts – were placed among the ‘extremely worsened’ districts.Despite pumping huge funds for addressing nutritional deficiency in children and women and implementing food security, the sharp rise in anemia has come as a shocker. Interestingly, the ruling Biju Janata Dal government enjoys a huge base in the coastal districts of the State.

Apart frwom provision of ration and cooked food under PDS and ICDS, distribution of Iron Folic acid Supplements (IFS) is one of the primary preventive approaches adopted by the State government to prevent anemia. According to government statistics, a majority of ration card holders of the total 93,04,217 are in these coastal districts.

Stakeholders are divided over the reasons behind the sharp rise in anemia in the coastal districts. Some attribute it to the timing of the NFHS survey, while others blame pandemic roadblock in access to nutritious food as the reasons.

An official of UNICEF said anemia in districts like Cuttack, Ganjam and Jagatsinghpur has always remained a concern, particularly in rural areas due to various reasons but consumption of good quality protein which is a precursor to absorption of protein also came down in 2020 due to the pandemic.

During pandemic, rice was distributed free to 87.12 per cent of beneficiaries and wheat to 12.88 pc. Only under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, in addition to 5 kg of rice/wheat, 1 kg dal was given free to each ration card holder.

Analysts point out that in anganwadi centres, pregnant/nursing women and children were usually provided ‘chatua’ and 3 eggs a week but during the pandemic, this was disrupted at many places including the coastal areas.

“Disruption in anemia control programme including distribution of IFS during the pandemic is also one of the reasons. Anemia incidence among women and children rose across the country during NFHS-5. Further studies and a detailed analysis are required to know the exact reasons behind the numbers in coastal districts of Odisha though,” said the UNICEF official, not willing to be named.

Dr Veena Shatrughna, a clinical nutritionist and retired deputy director of National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, said food deficiency and reverse migration may be some of the reasons but the coastal Odisha case needs to be examined properly.

“If ration was being provided regularly year after year, why did it lead to such a spike in anemia in last 6 years?, she questioned. This shows that people of the region did not have good quality food during the pandemic and not just rice, wheat or dal, she said. Cereals can only stuff people’s stomachs with carbohydrates and not help in formation of haemoglobin, she added.

An official of UNICEF said anemia in districts like Cuttack, Ganjam and Jagatsinghpur has always remained a concern, particularly in rural areas due to various reasons but consumption of good quality protein which is a precursor to absorption of protein also came down in 2020 due to the pandemic.

During pandemic, rice was distributed free to 87.12 per cent of beneficiaries and wheat to 12.88 pc. Only under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, in addition to 5 kg of rice/wheat, 1 kg dal was given free to each ration card holder.

Analysts point out that in anganwadi centres, pregnant/nursing women and children were usually provided ‘chatua’ and 3 eggs a week but during the pandemic, this was disrupted at many places including the coastal areas.Dr Shatrughna said earlier, the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau survey  showed what people ate, their nutrition consumption but nothing such is being done now. For policy makers, just NFHS is not enough to find out the reasons behind the anemia incidence, she added.

The UNICEF official said disruption in anemia control programme including distribution of IFS during the pandemic is also one of the reasons. “Anemia incidence among women and children rose across the country during NFHS-5. Further studies and a detailed analysis are required to know the exact reasons behind the numbers in coastal districts of Odisha though,” said the official, not willing to be named.

-TINE