Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, July 8:

To prevent complications due to anaemia in pregnant women, the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) is set to expand its ‘Intensive iron supplement programme’ in 12 more Terai districts. Chief at the Nutrition Section, Child Health Division, MoHP, Sharda Pandey, said 78 per cent of the country’s pregnant women are anaemic; hence the decision to expand the intensive iron supplement in 12 more districts, besides the regular iron supplement programme. “The government is planning to increase the number each year as per the necessity,” said Pandey. According to Pandey, the problem is severe in our country, especially in the Terai regions, as most people do not eat green vegetables, and some cannot afford meat, milk and fish. The programme is aimed at preventing premature births, unhealthy babies and a high health risk to the mother. Under it, women health workers in each VDC will be given the responsibility to give and make sure that every pregnant woman of the VDC gets the iron tablets, so that even women who do not visit the health posts get the necessary iron supplements.

The government provides the iron tablets and the women health workers are trained by the Micronutritient Initiative. According to the Child Health Division, the monitoring report on 12 districts showed an improvement in maternal mortality rate and the number of still births has decreased. The National Demographic Health Survey of 2001 states that 4,000 women die every year during pregnancy or at childbirth, 30,000 babies die within 28 days of thier birth, which is third highest in the world. Neonatal deaths accounts for 60 per cent of infant deaths and maternal mortality rate is estimated at 539 per 100,000 live births. The nationwide iron supplement programme was started in 1975, but the intensive iron supplement programme was started four years ago in five districts.