Finding coverage under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) and the Weekly Iron Folic acid Supplementation (WIFS) low against the enrolment figures of children in schools, the Human Resource Development Ministry has asked Education Secretaries of States and Union Territories to ensure better convergence of these two health-related schemes with the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) programme.
The RBSK and the WIFS are two health-related interventions under the National Health Mission. New-borns to 18-year-olds are screened for birth defects, diseases, deficiencies, development delays and disabilities under the RBSK; children above the age of six are screened through school education programmes and pre-schoolers at Anganwadi Centres. The WIFS programme seeks to address the high prevalence of anaemia among adolescents — particularly girls — by providing them weekly Iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablets.
Data submitted by States and UTs for the annual work plan and budget for the MDM programme for the ongoing fiscal has shown inadequate coverage of the two health interventions. Some of the States which lagged behind on this count last year included undivided Andhra Pradesh, Bihar (where health coverage was as low as 17 per cent and IFA distribution 16 per cent), Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
ADVERTISEMENT
To improve school health coverage, the HRD Ministry has asked all States and UTs to put in place institutional mechanisms for effective convergence of the RBSK and the WIFS with the three main school education programmes — Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, MDM and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan.
In a letter, Secretary (School Education & Literacy) in the HRD Ministry, Rajarshi Bhattacharya, has suggested the designation of a nodal officer for school health in the Education Department of all States and UTs, proper micro plans for school health check-ups, and proper modality for timely collection and storage of monthly IFA tablets.
ADVERTISEMENT