Vinod Shankar Bairwa**,,

Anaemia is very common in India because of inadequate iron, folate intake and due to low vegetable and flesh food consumption.  Majority of Indians over 50% of men, 60 % of women are anaemic.  Anaemia begins in childhood, worsens during adolescence in girls and gets aggravated during pregnancy. Over 3/4th of pregnant women are anaemic. Prevalence of anaemia in children is high because of poor iron stores, low iron content of breast milk and complementary foods. There is thus an intergenerational self perpetuating vicious cycle of anaemia.

Level of Anaemia

Mild (10.0-10.9 g/dl)

Moderate (7.0-9.9 g/dl)

Severe (<7.0 g/dl)

Any anaemia (<11.0 g/dl)

Effects of Anaemia on School Children

Anaemia is associated with increased susceptibility to infections, reduction in work capacity and poor concentration. Anaemia in young children is a serious concern because it can result in impaired cognitive performance, behavioural and motor development, coordination, language development, and scholastic achievement, as well as increased morbidity from infectious diseases. One of the most vulnerable groups are children od age 6-23 months and school going children.

Adequate Quantities of Micro Nutrients Supply in MDM

National Programme of Mid Day Meal in Schools (MDMS) is a flagship programme of the Government aiming at enhancing enrolment, retention and attendance and simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children studying in Government, Local Body and Government-aided primary and upper primary schools and the Centres run under Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS)/Alternative & Innovative Education (AIE) and National Children Labour Project (NCLP) schools of all areas across the country.

The National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP-NSPE) was launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme on 15th August 1995, initially in 2408 blocks in the country. By the year 1997-98 the NP-NSPE was introduced in all blocks of the country. It was extended in 2002 to cover children studying in centres running under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) and Alternative & Innovative Education (AIE) Scheme and Madarsas/Maktab. The scheme has been further extended to Upper Primary Schools in 2006-07. Since, 2009-10 the scheme covers children studying in National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Schools. MDM is also served in drought-affected areas during summer vacation also.

Under the Scheme cooked mid day meal with 450 calories and 12 grams of protein is provided to every child at Primary level and 750 calories and 20 grams of protein at Upper Primary level. This energy and protein requirement for a primary child comes from cooking 100 gms of rice/flour, 20 gms pulses and 50 gms vegetables and for an upper primary child comes from 150 gms of rice/flour, 30 gms of pulses and 75 gms To address hunger in schools by serving hot cooked meal, with the following objectives.

The component-wise break up of above nutrition value of food items constituting Mid Day Meal (MDM), both for primary and upper primary, are as under:-

It is well accepted that vegetables are a vital part of a balanced diet. They are good sources of a range of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and dietary fibre and they play an important role in preventing and controlling a micronutrient deficiencies, including deficiencies in vitamin A, B (folate), C and E. Vegetables owing to their high natural vitamin C content, can also alleviate iron deficiency by boosting the absorption of non-haem iron food sources in plant foods, provided such vegetables are low in fibre. Yellow/orange fruits and vegetables, (e.g. carrots, pumpkin, papaya and ripe mangoes) and dark-green leafy vegetables, including indigenous vegetables, are rich in provitamin A carotenoids, which human body can convert into the active form of vitamin A provided there is adequate fat in the diet. As per MDM Guidelines Green leafy vegetables should be added in the Mid day meal menu so that the children should get the nutritional benefits and one portion of the iron of the day can be fulfilled.

Mid Day Meal also envisages supply of adequate quantities of micro nutrients such as Iron, Folic Acid, Zinc and other appropriate supplementation depending on common deficiencies found in the local areas to the target beneficiary group through convergence with the School Health Programme of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, regular health check ups and weekly distribution of iron and folic acid tablets (to prevent iron deficiency Anemia).

*Media & Communication Officer,  New Delhi.