A higher secondary school in Santoshpur is taking measures to bring awareness among young girls on anaemia and how to take precautions against iron deficiency in a unique way.

Santoshpur Rishi Aurobindo Balika Vidyapith has started ‘Bartaghar’, a room for spreading awareness against anaemia. The room was inaugurated on the last day, 26 March, of a six-day health related training in the school by the state health department officials.

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Present on the occasion were ADHS-CH Dr Bhabani Das, Dr Partha Dey, district family welfare officer Kolkata and ADPO SSM, Kolkata Bishnupada Sarkar.

Anaemia among women is a public health problem and associated with adverse outcomes for mother and child. According to a report, the prevalence of anaemia was 64 per cent in West Bengal and about 1.71 billion people or 23 per cent of global population and approximately one-third of the women in childbearing age suffer from anaemia. The World Health Organization ranks India third in severity.

Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) programme is a facility by the state government for the girl students, under which students are given iron supplement tablets once a week.

School headmistress Srabani Sen, who has personally taken interest in the programme feels the room will serve as a permanent facility, making girls aware, especially senior students about the deficiency. The room has a visual depiction of the many aspects of anaemia and how to get rid of it.

The headmistress said students from the child’s cabinet have contributed to the information room, majority of whom are from Class VIII-IX.

The government has a BaLa (building as learning aid) programme in place.

“We had a session by the state health department for checking haemoglobin levels of students a few months back.

The West Bengal government, as part of the national “Anemia Mukt Bharat” (AMB) strategy, is implementing a comprehensive programme to reduce anaemia in women, children, and adolescents through a life-cycle approach, focusing on six target beneficiaries, six interventions and six institutional mechanisms.

The school programme was part of the basic sensitisation process. It involved very lucid dissemination of information regarding anaemia.

Niladri Porel, district coordinator, WIFS and a Child in Need Institution member said: “I guess this kind of an effort by a school is one-of-its-kind in India. The next generation should have good knowledge on anaemia-related issues and can take guard against low haemoglobin levels.

The health department officials have discussed with the school prospects of exposure visits by other schools from different districts.

According to Mr Porel, the NFHS-5 (national family health survey) has shown that anaemia in the state is on the rise among adolescents, except at two districts South 24-Parganas and Jalpaiguri. In Kolkata too anaemia cases are on the rise.

“All these measures are to curb the cases. There has been a T3 approach (test, treat, talk) by the government that is being held in borough 7 of KMC areas as a pilot project. Later, it will be implemented all across the city. What we have seen is that senior girls avoid taking these tablets. This is worrying as they need it more than anyone else. So, it is very important for us to also orient them and their parents, in turn.”