India’s eastern states have the lowest iron levels: Reports

Last year, when MS Dhoni hit the famous six to bring home the World Cup after 28 years, he gave his home state Jharkhand a new, masculine pride. However, the state’s women, unfortunately, are on a very weak wicket.

As per the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS III 2005-06), 69.5 per cent of women in Jharkhand and Assam are anaemic, the highest in the country.  Bihar and Tripura come next, with 67.4 per cent and 65.1 per cent of women being anaemic respectively. Women in the eastern belt are worst hit when it comes to this condition. In India, 55.3 per cent of women are anaemic.

Dr Anita Sharma, senior consultant at Fortis Hospital, Delhi, explains why women from the eastern states are more prone to anaemia. “It is related to the overall poverty levels. Girl children in such conditions tend to be weaker right from birth. As they grow up, lack of awareness adds to the problem,” she added.  
Dr Sushama Gupta, senior visiting consultant at Rockland Hospital, says multiple pregnancies and early marriage are the main reasons behind high maternal mortality deaths in India. About 16 per cent of girls in India in the 15-19 age groups have either achieved motherhood or are pregnant as per NFHS III (2005-06).  

Dr Gupta adds, “The main reasons behind anaemia in women are malnourishment, poverty and unhygienic conditions. Women in rural areas as well as those living below poverty have a diet that lacks the proper intake of vitamins and minerals which results in loss of blood during delivery,” she added.

Highlighting the failure of government to check anaemia, Dr Indrani Ganguly, chairperson at obstetrics and gynaecology department, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi said, “People in slums do not have access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Anaemia free women in India is a myth.”

In India, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), which measures the number of women dying due to maternal causes per 1, 00,000 births, is 212 as per the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2007-09. The average global figure stands at 176 as per the Human Development Report (HDR) 2011. The silver lining, however, is that Kerala, Manipur and Punjab have recorded low numbers of anaemic women. Kerala has 32.8 per cent of anaemic women followed by Manipur at 35.7 and Punjab at 38.0 per cent respectively.