Mangaluru: A recent health screening across Dakshina Kannada has revealed that 4,024 students out of 61,749 in 195 educational institutions are suffering from anaemia. Of these, 268 children are severely affected, while 3,740 have moderate anaemia.
The state government launched the AMPK (Anaemia Mukta Paushtika Karnataka) project last year to combat anaemia and malnutrition, focusing on newborns, children, adolescents, pregnant women, and mothers. Follow-up actions are now underway across all districts, with findings being shared publicly.
In Mangaluru, 37,735 students were targeted for testing, and 22,232 were screened. Among them, 2,085 students had moderate anaemia, 2,315 showed mild anaemia, and 207 were severely affected—making Mangaluru the district with the highest number of cases.
Other areas also showed significant results. In Bantwal, 462 students were mildly anaemic, 639 moderately affected, and eight were severely anaemic. Beltangady saw 232 students with mild anaemia, 346 with moderate anaemia, and eight severely affected. In Puttur, 510 students had moderate anaemia, 277 were mildly affected, and three were severely anaemic. Sullia reported 444 students with moderate anaemia, 454 mildly affected, and 42 severely affected.
Health officials are providing students with two tablets daily for 90 days to combat anaemia, which has shown some improvement. Severe cases are receiving special medical care.
Dr. Naveen Bhat, a paediatrician, emphasized the importance of addressing anaemia, noting its impact on cognitive development and overall health. Sunil, a child health expert, added that chronic anaemia in babies can lead to behavioral differences and hinder learning abilities.
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