Actions against Anaemia in Gujarat (AAG) 2022 : A symposia hosted by Deepak Foundation and Parul Institute of Public Health, Parul University

According to the Global Nutrition Report (2021), there has been a rise in anaemic Indian women since 2016. In 2016, 52.6 per cent of Indian women were anaemic. But in 2020, 53 per cent were found to be anaemic. With the increased burden on the medical sector as a result of the increased challenges of COVID-19, the attention towards anaemia-based treatment and curative measures has significantly been affected in India and across the globe.

In efforts to curb this prevailing disparity and this rise, Parul University’s Institute of Public Health recently collaborated with the Deepak Foundation to host a series of Symposia on Action against Anemia in Gujarat (AAG) 2022 with the goal and objective of combating this challenge. In support of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) program, launched in 2018 to target a three percent annual reduction in the burden of anaemia.

The first symposium was convened by Ms. Archana Joshi, Director at Deepak Foundation, and Dr. Apurva Kumar Pandya Director at the Parul Institute of Public Health, Parul University as the co-convenor of the event. The symposium was chaired by Professor Meenakshi Mehan, a veteran public health nutrition specialist with over four decades of experience in academics as well as program management at the national and international levels who was the keynote speaker.

The Provost of Parul University Dr. MN Patel graced the occasion with his best wishes for this initiative. The Symposia was successful in addressing the following key areas which include, the ongoing interventions in the state on curbing nutritional anaemia, the available community-level interventions addressing various challenges that are resulting in the growing prevalence of anaemia in Gujarat and the methodologies used for screening of nutritional and non-nutritional anaemia by government and non-government organizations.

The second symposium encompasses the synthesis of published and non-published documents including the release of proceedings of the first symposium and inputs from participants from different sectors such as academia, research, civil service organizations, and innovators. And the third symposium will focus on strategic recommendations for policy advocacy which will be released in a form of a policy brief and formulate consortia of experts and practitioners on Actions against Anaemia in Gujarat (AAG) to effectively address Anaemia in Gujarat.

Ever since its inception in 1982, the Deepak Foundation has been committed to providing holistic support through health care, education, and livelihood to underprivileged women and children. Parul University through its Institute of Public Health has not only been committed to providing excellence in the field of academia but has also been ensuring the advancement of the healthcare of the society through its numerous initiatives. The University together with the Deepak Foundation will continue developing measures and initiatives which are dedicated to resolving the challenges relating to such healthcare adversities.