Hyderabad: The government will begin distribution of about 2.5 lakh KCR Nutrition Kits to pregnant women in nine districts from Wednesday. The kits are aimed at improving the nutritional status of pregnant women, especially those who suffer from anaemia, and the nine chosen districts have a high prevalence of anaemia.
Health minister T Harish Rao will virtually launch the distribution at Kamareddy district while Ministers, MLAs and other public representatives will participate in the programme in the other eight districts. The government is spending a sum of Rs 50 crore for the initiative.
The nine districts where the kits will be distributed are Adilabad, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalpalli, Jogulamba Gadwal, Kamareddy, Kumrambheem Asifabad, Mulugu, Nagarkurnool and Vikarabad. As per estimates, about 1.25 lakh pregnant women will benefit from the Kits.
Each Nutrition Kit contains a kg of nutrition mix powder, a kg of dates, three bottles of iron supplementing syrup, half kg of ghee, an Albendazole tablet, a cup and a plastic basket. The aim of the initiative is to reduce the prevalence of anaemia by increasing haemoglobin percentage in the womens’ blood by providing them the required nutrition.
The Kits will be given once during the second ANC (Antenatal Care) check-up between 13 and 27 weeks and a second time during the third ANC checkup between 28 and 34 weeks. The kits will be distributed in 231 health centres in nine districts.
District Percentage anaemia prevalence
Adilabad 72
Bhadradri Kothagudem 75
Jayashankar Bhupalpally 66
Jogulamba Gadwal 82
Kumrambheem 83
Mulugu 73
Nagarkurnool 73
Kamareddy 76
Vikarabad 79
