New Anaemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan Norms Seek Early Detection and Better Monitoring

SUBJECT: SCIENCE

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has revised the Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) programme, now renamed Anaemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, to strengthen the prevention and control of anaemia through early detection, improved treatment, and technology-enabled monitoring.

Key Highlights

The revised guidelines emphasise:
- Early detection and timely treatment of anaemia.
- Strengthened monitoring and evaluation.
- Greater community participation.
- Digital tracking of beneficiaries and service delivery.

Major Revisions

Seventh Beneficiary Group Added
- Low Birth Weight (LBW) infants (0–6 months) have been included to facilitate early screening and intervention.
Seventh Intervention – “Eating Right”
- Introduced to promote:
  - Iron-rich diets.
  - Dietary diversification.
  - Improved nutritional awareness for anaemia prevention.
Seventh Institutional Mechanism
- Added to strengthen programme monitoring through a robust digital tracking system.
Shift from T3 to T4 Strategy
- The programme replaces the T3 Strategy (Test, Treat, Talk) with the T4 Strategy (Test, Treat, Talk and Track).
- Test: Routine haemoglobin estimation.
- Treat: Standardised treatment as per national protocols.
- Talk: Counselling on nutrition, iron supplementation and healthy dietary practices.
- Track: Digital follow-up, referral and monitoring of beneficiaries.
Integrated Digital Ecosystem
- A unified digital platform will be developed for real-time monitoring of anaemia services, beneficiary tracking and programme performance.

Anaemia Burden in India (NFHS-5)

Children (6–59 months): 67.1%
Women (15–49 years): 57.0%
Pregnant women: 52.2%
Adolescent girls (15–19 years): 59.1%

Significance

Enables life-cycle approach to anaemia control by covering LBW infants.
Promotes preventive nutrition alongside medical management.
Strengthens data-driven governance through digital monitoring.
Supports India’s efforts to reduce anaemia and improve maternal, child and adolescent health outcomes, contributing to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).