BHUBANESWAR, JAN 19: Stating that India is one among the countries with very high prevalence of anaemia and more than 74 percent adolescents in the age group of 10 to 17 years in Odisha are anaemic, State School and Mass Education Secretary Ranjana Chopra has urged the district and Block level Education Officers to ensure effective implementation and proper monitoring of iron-folic acid supplementation programme in schools.
Inaugurating the capacity building programme for DEOs, BEOs and ABEOs on strengthening implementation of health and nutrition programmes in schools, Chopra spoke about the huge burden of anemia across the country and stressed on the importance of active participation from education officials in quality iron-folic acid supplementation in schools.
She said the training programme would help in aligning the district level planning with state level directives. Speaking on the various important initiatives that are being implemented through schools like Mid Day Meal and Anemia control programme, State Nodal Officer, MDM Gangadhar Sahoo stressed on the importance of interdepartmental convergence for quality implementation of these programmes.
UNICEF-Odisha chief Yumi Bae highlighted the linkages between nutrition, health and quality education and acknowledged the officials of Education department as the most critical link in ensuring the nutrition and health programmes reach all children and adolescents in schools.
As many as 600 education officers from district and block level would be provided training on Mid Day Meal, National Iron Plus Initiative, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram, Rashtriya Kishore Swasthya Karyakram and Universal Salt Iodisation schemes.
