The World Health Organization endorses, weekly iron and folic acid supplements (WIFS) should be viewed as a key intervention to prevent anaemia. India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) program in 2012 to meet the challenge of the high prevalence and incidence of anaemia in adolescent girls and boys (56% of girls and 30% of boys). WIFS is an evidence-based response to the prevailing anaemia situation and includes weekly supervised ingestion of IFA supplementation and bi-annual helminthic control. These interventions are complemented by a comprehensive communication program to raise awareness and improve anemia knowledge.
The long-term aim of this program is to break the intergenerational cycle of anaemia; while in the short term, it improves India’s human capital through improved nutrition status.
The program is to be implemented in every state in the country, in both rural and urban areas, and serves 108 million beneficiaries (75% in-school and the remaining out-of-school).
Article Source: Rishikesha T Krishnan
Director, IIM Indore
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