BIPF launches Kanya Express to address anaemia among adolescent girls

Jajpur : With the aim to address anaemia amongst adolescent girls to supplement the government initiative of Anaemia Mukta Bharat (AMB), Kanya Express, an innovative mobile health van, was launched by the 'Bansidhar and Ila Panda Foundation' (BIPF).

Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA) vice-president, head, mining business unit & executive in-charge Mines inaugurated it at its administrative building at Sukinda Chromite Mines in Jajpur district on Wednesday.

The Kanya Express will regularly check haemoglobin levels of girls, facilitate distribution of iron folic acid supplements and de-worming tablets through government networks and impart awareness on anaemia-related illnesses, balance nutrition and wellness.

The BIPF will also provide girls with seed kits to create a nutri-garden in their household backyard which will help with nutrition supplementation. BIPF chief executive officer Shaifalika Panda said, "Kanya Express will be a game changer for adolescent girls helping them to understand nutritional needs and address anaemia-related challenges.

This project has been introduced with an objective to reduce the inter-generational challenges caused due to anaemia and poor nutrition and in turn reduce MMR and IMR in the programme areas" The 'Kanya Express' is a customised mobile health vehicle which will travel to far-flung areas and villages in Jajpur district.

The programme will cover 104 villages of 25 gram panchayats in Sukinda block in the current year. In addition to haemoglobin checks and iron folic acid supplements, it will work in close collaboration with the chief district medical officer, district social welfare officer and district education officer to address development issues of adolescent girls of Sukinda block.

The vehicle will reach every village at least 11 times with various awareness generation messages for the inclusive development of adolescent health Every fifth person in the country is an adolescent and from this 50.6 per cent are girls. Adolescent girls are prone to diverse vulnerabilities and 56 per cent are anaemic. Low haemoglobin leads to physical weakness, which reduces their chances to learn skills and be productive.

Anaemia also leads to difficult pregnancies, complicated childbirth and low birth weight babies who are then prone to several complications. Others present were Sukinda ABEO Gayadhar Parida, nutrition expert Dipu Ranjan Gai, OMBADC official Bikash Patra, Kaliapani sarapanch Sanjaya Parida, Kankadpal sarapanch Umarani Pradhan, Ransol P S member, headmistress of Kaliapani High School Jyostnarani Jena, SRCKMC union general secretary Narayan Chandra Dhir, central and IMFA branch committee members and employees of the private mining company.

BIPF DGM Nilendu Chatterjee, with his team, arranged and coordinated the programme.